Final Fantasy VIII: Requiem of Chaos
by Queen000
Summary: The die has been cast and sides have been drawn, but the war beyond will prove that not all is depicted in black and white. Sequel to Rise of the Tyrant and Part 2 in a 3 part series
1. Prologue: Monster Hunter of Winhill

_After two long months, I'm finally back with the next installation of this novelization. Despite the long reprieve I'm hoping there are still some of you out there who're still interested in seeing this story through to the end, and even if there aren't I still enjoy writing it. I just ask that if you do read, then you tell me how I'm doing or what you think of the whole story._

_For those of you who are new to this story, please read _**Final Fantasy VIII: Rise of the Tyrant** _before proceeding any further, as this story reflects instances that are unique only to this re-telling. Or don't. It's your call. _

_Once again I would like to thank Peter J. Marcroft for his help, encouragement and editing of the chapters that are to come. And for putting up with my whining whenever I got stuck with a part. Again I hope you guys enjoy my retelling of the story of Final Fantasy VIII as much as you enjoyed Peptucks._

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or it's plot. The original concepts or opinions that are mentioned throughout this piece of work are based solely on the way I saw things as I played the video game. _

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**Edited: **_06/13/10_

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**Prologue:  
The Monster Hunter of Winhill**

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He started suddenly, forcing himself to jerk forward which resulted in catapulting himself from the surface he'd been lying on and falling flat onto the wooden floor beneath him. He landed hard onto his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, which made it difficult to breathe for a moment. Taking that moment to recover, he groaned loudly as he pushed himself up onto all fours and brushed the long dark strands of hair out of his face. He breathed heavily for the few minutes that he stayed like that, taking in his surroundings with a morbid curiosity.

The room was small and cramped looking. It should have felt more like a prison cell, yet it was homey enough that it didn't. There was one twin-sized bed (the one he'd apparently fallen off), with a crib for a child next to it. The floor was wooden with three different small carpets strewn about; one was beneath the crib, another was to the left of the bed beneath a small circular table and chair, and a third was right beside a window across from him.

He sighed in relief as he recognized his surroundings and allowed his hand to run down his face. Shaking himself awake and pushing himself into a kneeling position on the floor, he faced the simple green wallpaper that surrounded him from all sides in contemplation. He couldn't recall how long this had been happening. It was starting to become some kind of weekly ritual, and he just wanted it to stop.

"Uncle Laguna!"

The faint and yet familiar voice brought him out of his inner musings and he pulled himself up onto his feet, noting that he'd forgotten to change into his pyjamas before falling asleep again. He was wearing a white muscle shirt and a pair of brown jeans. His black combat boots were lined up against the wall (he knew they should've been downstairs at the front door but by the time he'd reached the top of the stairs and realized he'd forgotten to take them off, he'd been too lazy to make the trek back downstairs), and his denim blue jacket was draped across the small wooden chair.

He heard the titter tatter of little feet as they ran up the stairs and from around the corner stood the little girl who owned the house he was staying in. She had short brown hair and the same colour eyes and was wearing a blue summer dress that reached her knees, though she was barefoot. He didn't see anyone else with her and he frowned to himself as she started to jump up and down on the spot. "Good morning, Uncle Laguna!" She said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Elle," Laguna Loire said in response, kneeling down so that they were standing at eye level.

Ellone wasn't that tall, but then again she was only four years old. Ever since he'd come to town, she'd looked up to him, and had even started to call him 'Uncle'. Laguna thought it was cute, but he knew he was the only one who did.

Whatever news Ellone wanted to share with him was bursting inside her. The little girl was bouncing on the spot with a burst of energy that only children could have. "Guess what, Uncle Laguna! There's someone here to see yoo!"

Laguna was slightly taken aback. This had been the last thing he'd expected her to say. Even more so as he hadn't exactly been expecting anyone to visit him. Still, he held an air of mock surprise and even gasped a little, causing the girl to giggle. "There is?"

"Uh-huh!" The little girl nodded her head up and down enthusiastically. "He's tall, dark and wearing really funny clothes..." she stopped suddenly, almost as though remembering something. "Oops... I'm not s'pose ta make fun of other people's clothes..."

"It's okay," Laguna said, thinking that maybe he knew who she was talking about after all. There was really only one person he could think of. "Where is he?"

"He's tawkin' ta Raine right now," Ellone said.

"At the pub?"

The little girl bobbed her head up and down again as she beamed widely. "That's why I came over ta get yoo, Uncle Laguna! Am I a good girl?"

Laguna suddenly frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "No, you're not."

Ellone's smile faded and she looked stunned, almost as though he'd physically slapped her (of which he could never do. She was just way too darn cute). She stared at Laguna wearily as he continued. "You're not supposed to go outside on your own. Do you remember why? It's because it's dangerous outside. What if a monster had come out and attacked you?"

Ellone continued to stare at him for a moment longer before her face broke out into a big grin again. She wasn't taking this seriously at all. "It's okay though. I know yoo'll come save me. And it's only next door..."

"It's still dangerous," Laguna said, staring at her imploringly. Ellone had pulled her arms behind her back and was swaying slightly as he spoke to her. "And since you're an especially cute little girl, the monsters'll come after you. If they catch you, then they'll suck out all your blood..."

Ellone scrunched up her nose in disgust at the thought of blood. It was funny to see, since Ellone's favourite hobby was jumping into mud puddles near the river. "And if that ever happened, it'd make Uncle Laguna cry."

"But it's still ok," Ellone persisted as she stopped swaying. "I'll just call yoo, Uncle Laguna. Yoo'll come save me, right?"

Laguna shook his head slightly in irritation. He'd never known someone to be as optimistic as Ellone. Then again, she was still innocent despite everything that had happened to her already. The day she lost all of that and became as morbid as most adults would be a sad day to him.

She beamed at him suddenly before running out of the room. "C'mon, Uncle Laguna! We can't keep Raine waitin'!"

And he heard her tiny feet clamber down the stairs. With a gasp (real this time), Laguna ran after her after grabbing his jacket, his boots and the submachine gun he'd left hanging off the backboard of the bed. When he reached the bottom, he saw Ellone, her hands clasped behind her back, swaying as she stood at the door. Apparently she'd realized he'd been serious after all.

"I waited!" She beamed at him as he sighed in relief. He took a seat at the bottom of the stairs and pulled his boots on over his socks. "Am I a good girl?"

"Yep!" Laguna rose to his feet as soon as his laces were done up, walked over to the little girl, ruffling her hair playfully. "You're a good girl alright."

He grinned as he watched her put her hair back in its place before walking over to a photograph that was propped onto a nearby table. It was a picture of two people with dark hair and a little girl who looked younger than Ellone. There was a resemblance between the child in the photograph and the one standing at the front door and, because of what he'd finally managed to wrestle out of Raine, Laguna knew why.

When Ellone was just two years old, Esthar soldiers had invaded the little town, looking for little girls to take to Esthar. Strangely, they'd taken a liking to Ellone, and had tried to take her away from her parents. There had been a struggle and, as a result, Ellone's parents had been killed. The only reason the little girl had been saved was due to Raine, their next door neighbour. Despite the risk of losing her own life by becoming involved, she'd come running at the sound of gunshots, scooped the girl up while the soldiers had been distracted and hid her at her pub until the Galbadian soldiers drove the Esthar forces away.

Shortly after that, Raine had taken her in and raised her as her own all by herself. Because Raine had her own home above the pub she owned, Ellone's house had been left abandoned, though the villagers had cleaned it up as best they could. There was a small wooden table in the sitting room that had three spaces, and a desk was set up right beside the front door. The only evidence that remained of that horrible day was etched along the wall of the stair case; the bullet holes that had been responsible for the death of her parents. A picture frame had lost its glass covering because of the blast, though thankfully someone had had enough sense to clean up the blood.

Laguna doubted very much that Ellone remembered that day, though subconsciously it was still with her and would always be. When he'd first gotten here, she'd been so terrified of the submachine gun he carried – which was probably similar to the kinds of weapon that had been used to execute Raine's neighbours, that she'd freak out at the sight of it. She'd gotten used to it by now, but Laguna still did his best not to have it out for the little girl to see or touch.

He picked up the family photo, looked over his shoulder to see Ellone standing on her tip toes watching him and cleared his throat importantly. "Dear Ellone's Mother and Father..."

He really wished he'd known their real names. It felt awkward having to acknowledge them as the title they should have been to Ellone. Ellone might have been too young to know them now, but when she got older she'd eventually wanna know. But the villagers refused to tell him because he was an outsider and it wasn't any of his business. He'd have to bug Raine to get it out of her, if only for Ellone's sake.

Regardless of this, he continued, "Ellone's been a very good girl today." He looked over his shoulder again. "Right?"

"Yup!" Ellone squealed before she reached over and pulled open the front door. Laguna quickly put the photograph back and ran out, only to find that she'd stayed on the front step. She looked between the outside and Laguna, silently asking if it was okay to go out.

Laguna held out his hand, Ellone grabbed a hold of it with her tiny fingers and, together, they walked across the stretch of gravel that made up the streets and headed towards Raine's pub.

The town known as Winhill was beautiful in its simplicity. It wasn't very large, and it took maybe a couple of hours to get from one side of town to the other. A few houses away from the one he was staying in was a large looking house Laguna knew belonged to the Village Mayor. There was a very wide area in which people gathered around for festivals, and there were even more houses further down the path that led out of town.

It took less than thirty seconds to get from the abandoned house to Raine's pub. Ellone looked around, probably trying to see if there were any monsters nearby. All he could see were Galbadian soldiers, two of which were standing guard in front of the Mayor's house, while there were two more scattered along the town square. Laguna also knew that there were even more soldiers patrolling the other side of Winhill.

He frowned and forced down the anger he felt every time he watched the soldiers at their post. Despite having been dispatched to this tiny town, they did absolutely nothing except standing around looking like inert statues. When they did move, it was only to patrol the grounds or because of a change of the guard. Their uncaring attitude about their post and the importance of it made Laguna's blood boil, knowing that there were other such things aside from the Estharians who threatened the villagers' livelihood. Nothing outside of the Esthar soldiers would get them into gear (Laguna had tested this theory once and it had gotten him a beating and almost arrested. Who knew that crying 'Esthar Soldiers' when there weren't any was grounds for Capital punishment? Laguna did but he sure as hell didn't tell _them_ that). Just because Winhill wasn't exactly considered a part of the Galbadian Republic didn't mean that they couldn't lift a finger to help the villagers out with the monster troubles at the very least.

Fortunately they reached the pub quickly enough that Laguna didn't have to grapple with his temper for very long. Ellone pushed open the door once they reached the front step (despite the Esthar attacks, people in the village had an aversion to locking their doors), and both of them stopped suddenly, the front door closing behind them with a loud bang that was almost thunderous.

The inside of the pub contrasted with the contents of the abandoned house. It was clean, organized and very well lit. There were tables along the front half of the pub, each with a vase of white flowers in the very centre. There was a counter in the back that cut off customer access into the kitchen. A shelf of bottles was placed next to the kitchen door, and a window on the right hand end of the counter. Further along, there was a door that led to the cellar.

Along the right hand side of the room was a set of stairs that led up, but a green coloured door blocked access to the second floor halfway. That was the personal portion of the building where Raine and Ellone lived. The only exception to go upstairs was to use the washroom. Despite having been in Winhill for a very long time, Laguna still wasn't used to a place that had no indoor plumbing. The only reason there was a toilet at all was because Raine got her water from a well near the house.

And standing in front of the door with her hands on her hips was the owner of the pub herself. Raine wasn't like any pub owner he'd ever seen before. He expected them to be built like a boat with a hair-trigger temper. Raine was a small woman, barely standing at shoulder height of Laguna, though only if you counted the very top of her head. She was also very slender, though you wouldn't be able to tell that as she seemed to prefer wearing huge sweaters that did nothing for her figure. A white headband kept her bangs out of her face, though the rest of her long dark hair fell to her waist. She wore a simple pair of blue jeans and a pair of simple black shoes.

Seeing her had surprised him at first. All the women he'd seen in his days were all dallied up with make-up, like they couldn't be seen without it. Raine, on the other hand, hated the stuff ("It irritates my skin," she'd said when he'd asked about it) but possessed a natural beauty despite how plain she appeared that was almost captivating. She was also very practical minded, explaining that her money could go to better uses aside from painting her face with the stuff. It took her less time to get herself ready to leave the house than it took Laguna, or any other guy he'd ever known in his life.

And though Raine was very patient and it took a lot to get her angry, it wasn't considered healthy to irritate her. "Thank you, Laguna," Raine said with a nod before redirecting her gaze towards the child she was raising. "What have I _told_ you about leaving the house without an adult, young lady?"

"Not to," Ellone answered quietly. Laguna tried not to grin. Raine was more of the enforcer than he'd ever be. He was more than happy being the 'cool one'.

"I don't want to have to tell you again, do you understand?" Raine asked sharply and when Ellone nodded, the hardened look softened. "Good. Now go upstairs and play."

Shaking her head, the dark haired woman opened the door between the wall and the counter and started fiddling with something behind the counter. Instead of going upstairs, however, Ellone turned to Laguna and lowered her voice. Laguna had to lean forward in order to understand her stage whisper. "I got in twouble."

"That's 'cuz ya broke tha rules," Laguna said, using a stage whisper of his own. "Tooo baaad."

"Laguna!"

He nearly jumped out of his skin, his back went ramrod straight as he saw Raine standing behind the counter. It was almost like he was standing at attention as she fixed him with a hard look. "Y-yeah...?" Laguna asked tentatively.

"Use proper language when speaking to Ellone," Raine said sternly.

"Yes ma'am," Laguna said saluting her. Raine nodded approvingly and crouched back under the counter.

"I got in twouble..." Laguna said, resuming his stage whisper.

Ellone grinned cheekily. "Tooo baaad."

He and Ellone laughed, the little girl covering her mouth with her tiny hands. It was one of those times that he wished he had a camera with him, but he'd lost his cellphone, so he couldn't exactly take a picture.

He heard a grunt from behind the counter and frowned when he saw Raine pull up a barrel, her face red from exerting the energy. She grunted again heavily and wiped her brow with her sleeve.

"I can help you with that, you know?" Laguna said. "Little thing like you shouldn't be lifting something that heavy."

"I managed before you came along and I can manage now," Raine waved off not unkindly. She was sort of out of breath, but aside from that she seemed fine. "Besides, we shouldn't keep your visitor waiting."

Laguna had completely forgotten about that, but before he could ask where the mysterious person was, someone stood up from the table closest to the bar. Having only spotted him now, he found it odd that there was anyone inside the bar, given that it wouldn't open until later that night. The visitor was dark skinned like Ellone had said, wearing armour across his chest and his crotch. Along his wrists were cuffs that looked like they were made outta gold, black shorts, and a pair of black boots. The rest of his skin, save for his neck and head, was covered by a dark brown transparent material. His hair was long; most of it was tied into braids that flowed down his back, though a couple of strands that were too short for that sat forward in his face.

Despite the strange clothes though, Laguna recognized him instantly. "Kiros?"

Kiros Seagill nodded, grinning as he folded his arms across his chest. "It's been a while, Laguna."

"Yeah, it's been... about what? Two years since we last saw each other."

Kiros nodded and Laguna became aware that Ellone was staring at Kiros critically. Judging by her wrinkled up nose, she was trying hard not to make fun of his clothes. "Ellone, meet Kiros. He's a friend of Uncle Laguna's."

Ellone stared at him, her mouth forming a small 'o', and Laguna knew she understood. Lowering his voice slightly, he grinned as he whispered, "And yeah, he does kinda dress funny."

Ellone giggled in response. Raine shot him a look but Kiros was acting like he hadn't heard him.

"So how'd you find me?" Laguna asked; he'd walked over to the counter and was now leaning against it. Raine glared at him for a minute before sighing and getting back to whatever it was she was doing.

"Trust me, it took a pretty long time," Kiros said. "You get around pretty quick. After you left the army and all, things got pretty tame."

Laguna winced at the look in Kiros' eye when he said that. After the fiasco in Centra, he'd quit the Galbadian Military, but he hadn't had the heart to break the news to Kiros and Ward. Kiros' injury was relatively minor, but Ward had been shipped out to a hospital in Deling as quickly as the rescue squad could get him. How could he _not_ leave the military, knowing that it had been his fuck up that had cost Ward big time.

He'd figured that Kiros at the least would come looking for him, so he'd been careful not to stay in one place for too long. Besides, his wanderlust wouldn't let him stick around in one town for more than a week.

"Yeah," Laguna rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "How's Ward doin' anyway?"

"Like me, he quit the army," Kiros said with a shrug. When Laguna stared at him incredulously, Kiros laughed. "C'mon, it wasn't just _your_ fault we got in the mess we did. And there wasn't much Ward could do for the army anyhow. Although a lot of the damage was fixed in his throat, he lost his voice. The doctors don't think he'll ever get it back."

Laguna sighed as he turned back around and rested his arms along the counter. Of course he wouldn't be allowed in the field anymore. What would the military do with a mute? Ward wouldn't be able to work missions because he wouldn't be able to say anything. If anything, they'd probably give him a medical discharge and wash their hands of him. "So what's he doin' now?" Laguna said, looking around. He knew he wouldn't be able to miss a guy with Ward's incredible bulk in a crowd.

"He got a job at that Prison the President had built," Kiros explained. "I think it's called Desert District. Anyhow, he's a janitor there."

"Never thought I'd ever see the day Ward swapped his harpoon for a mop and bucket..." Laguna said in an attempt at a joke. It worked. Kiros cracked a smile. "But I'm glad he's doing good. But what about you? Why'd you quit?"

"Well, like I said, I felt guilty for drivin' you away," Kiros said.

Laguna waved it off. "I never thought I was well suited for the military anyway."

"Oh yeah, you wanted to be a journalist or something like that." Kiros nodded thoughtfully. "Anyways, after Ward left, there wasn't much left in the army for me, so I quit too. Then I came looking for you. You're my main source of entertainment," Kiros said when Laguna stared at him in shock.

"I know exactly what you mean," Raine said from behind the counter. "I can hardly stop myself laughing when he sings in the shower."

"Hey!" Laguna could feel his cheeks burning up as Kiros laughed.

"Yeah, his rendition of 'Row, row, row your boat' is hilarious, isn't it?"

"Actually it's more like 'She'll be comin' 'round the mountain'," Raine laughed as Laguna covered his face with his hands, completely and utterly mortified. "Which is fitting, since he fell off one."

"What?"

Laguna could tell from the tone of voice that Kiros had whirled around to face him. Raine however took away the chore of having to explain himself. "Oh yeah, I kid you not. This blockhead thought it'd be a great idea to climb the bluffs just outside of town when he first got into the region. I can only speculate what happened, but some of the farmers found him at the base of it. They brought him here and I nursed him back to health."

"Well thank you very much," Laguna saw through the cracks of his fingers as Kiros bowed low for Raine, who looked somewhat taken aback, "for taking care of Laguna. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

Raine shrugged awkwardly in response. "As much trouble as an army man sentenced to bed rest for 6 months can be."

"Harsh." Kiros winced.

Laguna finally dropped his hands from in front of his face. "Well, it felt like every bone in my body had been broken."

"Actually, you had about _seven_ broken bones," Raine helpfully pointed out, and ticked off her fingers as she listed them. "You're collarbone, both arms and legs..."

"You don't need to continue," Laguna said hastily. Raine laughed and went back to whatever it was she was doing.

"So..." Kiros said after a moment of silence. Laguna had noticed that Ellone had taken to leaning against the counter to watch the grown-ups' conversation. "Aren't you going to ask about Julia?"

Laguna was well aware of the fact that he was blushing. He'd actually wanted to ask Kiros about that in private rather than in front of Ellone or Raine. Ellone watched him curiously while Raine continued to work regardless of their conversation.

"Last I heard, she's doing really well for herself," Kiros said and Laguna noticed that there was some hesitation in his voice. If he hadn't wanted to say anything, then why had he brought it up in the first place? "From the small stuff that I've heard her sing..."

"Wait a minute..."

Both Kiros and Laguna turned to Raine, who had looked up from what she was doing, giving them her undivided attention. Both Laguna and Raine had said the exact same thing at the exact same time. "You mean Julia Heartilly, the _singer_?" She turned to look at Laguna, putting her hands on her hips. "You never told me you knew her."

Laguna was just as shocked as Raine had looked. All he'd heard her play in the pub was folk or country music. Even more shocking was the news that Julia had done what she'd always wanted to. She'd talking to him about singing, but he hadn't been able to hear anything from her since leaving Deling so abruptly. He realized then and there that he'd broken his promise to her in his haste to leave. But he was even more shocked that Raine knew about it.

"Yeah," Kiros answered for Laguna, "we used to go to the night club she performed at between missions. Laguna admired her quite a bit."

Mentally cursing Kiros, Laguna scoffed. "So what if I did? Shut up!" He added meaningfully at Kiros, who stared at him in confusion.

Raine didn't seem to pick up on it at all. "So Julia used to sing at a night club?"

"No," Kiros shook his head, turning his attention back to Raine. "She didn't sing back then. She just played the piano. I think the first song she actually released was called 'Eyes on Me'."

Laguna started at the song title. It made him think back to when they'd talked in her hotel room. Julia had told him that his eyes had given her inspiration to write a song when writer's block had put her in a rut. It sort of made sense to give it a name like that.

"I've heard that song!" Raine gasped.

"How does it go?" Laguna asked hesitantly.

Raine whirled on him. "You know her, don't you? I would've thought you'd heard it."

"I didn't exactly stick around to listen to the radio when I was travelling," Laguna said defensively. "And you never let me listen to it. All you play is folk and country."

"Yeah, for the _patrons_," Raine clarified. "I don't _always_ listen to that kind of stuff.

"So how's it go?" Laguna asked.

Raine scrunched up her face, as though she were trying to remember the song lyrics. She hummed a few bars as though to jog her memory. Her voice didn't sound too bad as she did it, but after a moment she shook her head. "I can't remember exactly how it goes, but that's the melody, I think."

When Laguna stared at her incredulously, she scowled at him. "I don't exactly get a lot of time to listen to the songs I like. But I'm not sure you would take to it all that much. It's about falling in love. You know, the kind of mushy love songs most guys try to steer clear from. But _I_ like it."

"Speaking of," Kiros interjected. He gained Laguna and Raine's attention. "I heard she recently got married."

Laguna frowned slightly. It was disappointing to learn that the girl he'd watched all those years ago had tied the knot to another guy, especially after what had happened between them before he'd left. And yet, he wasn't as disappointed as he thought he should be and he wondered why that was.

"Oh, right! I read about that in a magazine," Raine jumped back into the conversation. "It was another army guy, like you guys, right?"

Laguna looked up, wondering if maybe it had been her bodyguard. There were a lot of army guys who had frequented the night club, all clambering for a chance to meet Julia, but that bodyguard always kept them at bay. Then he remembered hearing something about the bodyguard being her cousin, and decided that it probably hadn't been him at all.

"I'd hardly call General Caraway an 'army guy like us'," Kiros said and Laguna forced himself not to look up in shock. How the hell did a girl like Julia hook up with the General of the Galbadian Military?

"The magazine said that her true love went off to war, but he never came back, so she got depressed. This General Caraway – I couldn't pronounce his first name even if I tried, so I'm not going to bother – apparently knew her through their families and he comforted her. Supposedly, that's how they got to know each other."

"Wait..." Kiros said, and Laguna could tell he was looking at him. "She didn't wait for the guy to come back?"

"Who cares?" Laguna said with a shrug, directing Kiros and Raine's attention to him. "The only thing that matters is that she's happy. She obviously is, since she married the guy. Ain't that..."

"Isn't," Raine corrected sternly.

Laguna winced at her tone, and tried again. "_Isn't_ that right, Elle?"

"Right!" Ellone beamed cheerfully. "Uncle Laguna and Raine are..."

"Ahhh!" Laguna shouted over Ellone, causing Raine to jump and Kiros to stare at him critically. He stood back up straight as Ellone covered her mouth and began to giggle. "Let's move on, shall we?"

Kiros nodded uncertainly for a second before suddenly standing up straighter. Laguna frowned thoughtfully. "What's up?"

Kiros shook his head, inclining it towards Raine. "Tell ya later."

"Um... okay...?" Laguna said, staring at Kiros like he had a hole in the head. "So let's get to work already."

"Work?" Kiros asked uncertainly.

Laguna nodded. "So what's your plan, anyhow? You plannin' on stickin' around or are ya gonna move on?"

"Well I was hoping to stay around here for a while," Kiros directed his gaze towards Raine. "Would that be alright?"

"It's fine with me," Raine said with a shrug. "So long as you work for what you eat."

Kiros nodded in response and Raine grinned. "So it's settled. I'll be sure to have lunch ready by the time you get back. Oh, and Laguna, while you're on patrol, do you think you could pick up some eggs and milk for me?"

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"Come back soon!" Ellone waved as the pair set off. .

A few minutes later and money in his pockets, they were outside the pub and in the town square. Laguna had set a brisk pace towards the bridge that was easy for Kiros to keep up with. "So what'd ya wanna tell me?"

"The faeries are back," Kiros said. "I didn't wanna say anything around them. Might make us sound crazy."

"Too true," Laguna said as he rubbed his hands. Now that he thought about it, he could hear that familiar buzzing noise. "But it's a good thing for us! That's gonna make our work a _lot_ easier!"

"Say, Laguna..." Kiros said and Laguna could hear him stopping from behind him. "What exactly _do_ you do around here anyway?"

"Well," Laguna said, turning around to regard the taller fighter. "It goes like this. All the working men have gone off to war. So that leaves the elderly, the children, women, dogs and cats as the only ones in this town. Esthar soldiers have come to this place before to abduct the children, specifically the girls, and that's why those soldiers are there," he gestured towards the Galbadian soldiers standing guard before sighing in exasperation. "Unfortunately, they don't see fit to stop the monsters from coming into town."

"There're monsters in town?" Kiros asked.

"Yep, but you don't have to worry. They're not the really strong monsters we fought in Timber or even the ones from Centra..." Laguna trailed off uncomfortably at the thought of those Esthar cyborgs before shaking himself out of it. "They're these huge caterpillar type things and these big bloating bugs... the ones we learned about in training..."

"Caterchipillars and Bite Bugs?" Kiros asked.

"Yeah, those are the ones," Laguna nodded. "But because I couldn't remember what they were called, Elle and I nicknamed them Bunchubuchu's and Bunbuns."

Kiros raised an eyebrow and Laguna rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It was Ellone's idea," he added lamely.

"So about the monsters..." Kiros started and Laguna grinned; Kiros seemed to have picked up what his job was.

"So because the soldiers won't fend them off, and the villagers sure as hell can't, you're lookin' at the Monster Hunter of Winhill." Laguna pointed his thumb at himself. "Seriously though, these people took care of me when I needed help. So I wanted to repay their kindness. And as of today," Laguna pointed at Kiros, "you're my assistant. We're gonna patrol the town and help people who are in need. That's our basic duty. And any monsters we see along the way get exterminated. Ya got it."

Kiros nodded. "I've got it."

"Then let's get started."


	2. Prologue II: Change

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

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**Prologue II:  
Change**

* * *

They crossed the wooden bridge that took them away from the town square, keeping their eyes out for monsters along the way. Laguna remembered the first few times he'd been on patrol. Having felt secure in the knowledge that there was nowhere to hide in the exposed are of the town square, he had been surprised by an ambush caused by the swarm of Bite Bugs lying in wait beneath the bridge. His only means of escape had been to dive from the bridge and into the lake and keep his head down until they moved on. He'd learned a valuable lesson that day and thus proceeded to his destinations with caution.

But today the path was clear and free of monster activity. Once Laguna was positive that there were no monsters hiding out beneath the bridge, the pair continued along the bridge and down the dirt road before they reached a fork. Their options were simple. They could either continue straight on or take a right that curved further along the road and somewhat out of sight. But before he made that choice, he wanted to check in on the flower shop owner and make sure she was okay. Kiros had had no objections.

Even though he was on patrol, he couldn't help but relax given his surroundings. There was grass everywhere, and no trace of the smog that usually came from the larger cities. In fact, the only smoke that he could see was the occasional puff that came billowing out of the chimneys of the small houses. The dirt road they travelled on was worn from the number of passer-bys, though the former soldier could see bits of grass struggling to grow from within the trudged earth. On the right hand side there was a different array of flowers stretching towards the river and a bridge that straddled it. An assortment of pinks, reds, purples and yellows mingled amongst the green grass that surrounded them.

Behind him Kiros walked equally as focused but, like him, he wasn't nearly as tightly wound as he had been when they'd travelled through the Timber Forest that long while ago. Still, it'd be really bad if they were caught unaware, even if they were monsters that were considered low grade types, but it was the environment to blame. With such calm and pleasant surroundings, who _wouldn't_ be hard-pressed not to relax?

"Knock knock," Laguna said cheerfully as he knocked on the door of the flower shop. The door was propped open, so he allowed himself inside, passing an assortment of bins filled with flowers that had been picked to sell. Kiros followed a few feet behind, looking around the place.

Though the hut was small, and it didn't look like many people could come wandering inside in large numbers, it was very impressive looking. Along the left hand side of the wall and even a large portion of the back of the shop was covered in shelves of flowers. There was a small table propped up in the centre, and a couple of bookshelves rested against the right hand side of the room. In front of them was a desk where Laguna knew the exchange of money took place.

Standing at the far end of the room, tending to her product, was a little old lady. She was short but rather thin, standing hunched over and peering at the two men through round spectacles that looked to be about as big as sliced cucumbers that were connected to a chain around her neck. Her simple flowery purple dress fit the environment really well, or so Laguna would have said if he were a specialist in interior design.

At the sound, she turned around to peer at the pair before she fixed a smile into her features that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh hello there, young man. Come to buy some flowers?"

"Nah, I'm just checking up on ya," Laguna said. "Raine worries that you work too hard, Agnes."

This time Agnes smiled for real. "Oh, she's one to talk, bless her heart. Always running around that pub insisting that she do things herself, but she's just too proud to ask for help from anyone. She'll work herself into an early grave if she keeps that up, and yet she worries about me?"

The tone came out sounding rather incredulous but there was every little bit of love that came along with it to prove that she wasn't angry, just worried. It seemed like everyone talked that way whenever Raine's name was mentioned. She seemed to be the heart of the town, from what he had witnessed.

"And you seem to be doing quite well yourself," Agnes said, seemingly steering herself away from the topic. "You've recovered from your injuries nicely."

Laguna grinned sheepishly. "Yep. For a while I didn't think I was ever gonna recover."

Agnes nodded seemingly to herself. "You know, I do feel a bit sorry for you. It must be dull, living in such a simple and slow paced town like this. And you're so energetic too. Don't think I haven't seen you running around from one end of town to the other. A young man like you needs some excitement to keep you on your toes and I don't doubt that it'd get to be too much just staying here."

As she spoke, Agnes moved the basket of flowers she'd been carrying from the back end of the room and made her way to the front, waving away Laguna's silent offer to take the basket from her and complete the task for her. She paused in contemplation as she placed the basket on the ledge beside an open plot, more than likely preparing to settle the roots of the plants into the soil. "Perhaps it's about that time to return to Deling City," she added rather casually.

Beside him, Kiros frowned slightly but Laguna shrugged good-naturedly. "Maybe you're right. Even being here as long as I have, I'm _still _not used to how quiet everything is. But as long as the men in this town are fighting in the war and the soldiers aren't doing anything to stop the monsters from coming into town, I'll stick around, for as long as I have to. Besides, there really isn't much for me to go back to in DC anyhow. Not like I left anything there. Everything I knew back home's moved on without me. I'd only get in the way. And there's still this town's kindness to repay, after all."

They left the flower shop after that (Agnes still had some work to tend to and had claimed she didn't want to keep them), and the next thing Laguna knew, they were back on the dirt trail.

Kiros had been strangely quiet since the visit to see Agnes, and the few attempts Laguna tried to pull him into a conversation resulted in monosyllabic answers. In the end, Laguna decided it would be better to let him be.

Returning to the fork they had been presented with prior to visiting Agnes, Laguna recalled his daily routine before settling on heading straight across from the flower shop and down the curved road, Kiros following wordlessly after him. They'd barely begun walking, however, when the former soldier recognized the shape and colour of the monster that was trying to blend in with the grass.

Too bad that the strange purple and red stripes along its body sold it out.

Laguna raised his submachine gun while Kiros pulled out his Katals – long knives attached to a handle that he held clenched in his fists. Pressing hard on the trigger, the former soldier opened fire, blasting the back of the Caterchipillar's head open and spewing chunky purple liquid that was supposed to be blood. The monster sagged against the grass, its blood staining the surroundings.

Laguna crept over towards the dead body, but as he neared the corpse, he heard Kiros shout out a warning behind him. Whirling around, he saw another one of the overgrown bugs swing at him with its stinger. He jumped back before the sharp point could hit him, and tripped over something large, falling face first into the grass. He looked up to see that he'd tripped over a third one.

"What'd you do?" Kiros shouted from behind, "wake up a nest?"

_That is entirely possible,_ Laguna mused mentally as he forced himself up and away. A fourth Caterchipillar had joined them and Laguna was beginning to think that Kiros was right. He levelled his weapon and opened fire, spraying the creatures with rapid gunfire. The same purple inchor stained the ground and further stained the grass.

Taking in their predicament, Laguna only knew of one solution. He didn't like it; he knew the villagers wouldn't like it. Kiros might be okay with it, as long as he wasn't in the line of fire, but thinking about it, Kiros probably wouldn't be able to object if he did get caught up in it.

"Kiros! Move back!" Laguna shouted as his hand dropped to his belt. He saw Kiros look up in confusion, and upon seeing what the elder fighter was doing, conducted an impressive back flip out of range. The Caterchipillars looked startled that their prey had seemingly vanished, but catching sight of Laguna they turned their attention towards him.

"Show off," Laguna remarked towards Kiros before putting his plan into action. Ripping off the small but bumpy object strung against his belt, he pulled the pin out with his teeth and threw it in front of him, knowing what he was going to do next.

Laguna hadn't actually perfected this move, but he figured that since the faeries were here his chances had improved since the last attempt. He ran up the side of a nearby tree and, using the increased level of upper body strength that was currently at his disposal, he propelled himself up onto a fourth branch and continued to climb. The green and purple critters were congregating around the trunk of the wood object, like a bunch of zombies swarming onto the prey. It actually reminded the gunner of an old monster movie.

The tree suddenly gave a lurch forwards and Laguna realized with a sinking feeling that the Caterchipillars were working on toppling it. If they got it to fall, he'd be a human splatter on top of a bunch of green and purple splatters. Not exactly a mental picture he really wanted to deal with. So he pulled out his machine gun and fired it awkwardly at the monsters, the familiar high shrill noises they made when they died filling the air. He quickly resumed his climbing until he managed to find a perch high enough. Doing some quick calculations in his head, he figured that he would be out of the way of the blast.

And sure enough, the old pineapple bomb worked like clockwork. It exploded, causing a large amount of dust and grit to fly in a three-sixty degree arch. Kiros managed to find cover behind a boulder, and the inchor of the Caterchipillar nest hit the stone instead of the taller fighter. Laguna howled in laughter at the extermination, but his stomach lurched when the tree swung forward. He realized that his technique still had a few bugs in it. The explosion took the tree out along with the nest!

He cried out loudly and held on for dear life, noting how quickly the ground was getting closer until he saw stars dancing in his vision. He was especially grateful that the object had managed to take the brunt of the fall leaving him unscathed (save for a couple of scratches from where the branches got him). He forced himself up and meandered through the now dead tree's branches, getting more scrapes than he'd had with the initial landing, and watching as Kiros climbed out from behind his hiding spot.

"Smooth one, Laguna," Kiros quipped sarcastically.

"Okay, so I've still got a couple of bugs to work out," Laguna winced slightly at the wordplay before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh... no pun intended."

He heard footfalls from nearby and turned in the direction, only to see Agnes wandering along the dirt road, no doubt looking for the source of the loud noise. A few others accompanied her, including Dale and Gritter who normally fished along the river bank nearby and a few of Agnes' neighbours in the houses along the way back to the Pub.

"You're tryin' ta blow us all up, ain't yeh?" Dale – an elderly old man who was forced to lean over due to the hump that made up his neck – shouted sourly. "No good..."

"You coulda blown up ol' Agnes," Gritter – another elderly old man, though he stood up straighter than Dale. "And us two ta boot!"

Laguna winced slightly, though he was used to it. That was why he tended to refrain from setting off his grenades. "Sorry guys. Just ran into a bad nest, is all."

"Sooner or later, you're just gonna blow us all up," one of Agnes' neighbours snapped. She had short blonde hair and her arms were folded across her chest. "Save us the trouble and do yourself in first."

"Hey, he's just doing you guys a favour..." Kiros started incredulously but before he could say anything else, Laguna placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder and shook his head in response to his inquiring expression.

"Don't worry about it, it was my bad," Laguna said good-naturedly. Kiros' annoyed expression shifted into one of puzzlement but the machine-gunner paid it no mind. "And anyways, we've still got our patrol to do. Sorry guys, it won't happen again, I promise."

And he started off, well aware of the villager's mumbling as he continued on his way.

* * *

They made it past the river bank without any further incidents with the villagers.

The curved road had continued until it reached a ledge. Normally it would have continued along the left, circling back until it reached the road just in front of the farms, but the fence that had been built to keep people from jumping off the ledge had been torn down during the relatively common monster attacks the town suffered. The villagers had attempted to mend it many times before but it just kept happening to the point where they had given up trying to fix it altogether. The ledge along the way was worn from years of travel, and had become a rocky and unsteady trail that led back to the ground where most of the villagers tended to fish from.

Kiros had fallen into another one of his moody silences which, for once, Laguna appreciated as he didn't feel much like talking. He had known the consequences of setting off the grenade, but it had been the fastest way he could think of to eliminate the nest. He sighed lightly as he realized he was just trying to justify his actions. Truth to tell, he had honestly not given it much thought, only knowing that he needed to get rid of the nest before their numbers overwhelmed him and Kiros. The results that would have befallen the villagers would have been the eye opener and upon realizing that much, he knew he couldn't fault the villagers for their reactions. Agnes' shop had been just down the road. What if he'd fumbled with the grenade and it had rolled her way? The explosion would have made quick work of her and her shop.

He forced the thoughts from his mind though and focused on keeping an eye out for any more monsters. There was no use focussing on the past, because what was done was done and there wasn't anything he could do to change it. Let the villagers be pissed, it was in their rights to be. He would just have to deal with it.

Since then, both he and Kiros had run into a couple of Bite Bugs and another batch of Caterchipillars that they took out with their weapons and without the assistance of the grenades. It had taken far longer but they had been careful to avoid becoming cornered by the monsters and the result had ended favourably enough. Covered in monster blood and ichor, they managed to reach the other side of town without too much trouble.

While the town square was littered with houses, this side of the village was noted for its stores and could have amounted to Winhill's version of the Shopping plaza. Far more modest and a lot smaller than the massive Shopping District in Deling City, it had enough to die everyone over. No one complained anyway.

"First I've gotta grab the eggs and milk for Raine, and then we can head back to base," Laguna said, trying to keep up appearances. The encounter with the villagers had darkened the mood a bit, but he was determined to get rid of the black cloud that was dangling over them. Silently, Kiros nodded in response and they set off to the shop.

It was a nice little place, inside and out of the store, barely enough to fit five people inside comfortably. Dimly lit but cozy enough, there were at least ten rows of shelves covered with canned goods and fruits and the back wall had the store fridges and freezers to store the perishables. The floor was mainly wooden strips and he could see the roof right above his head unlike the supermarkets in the big city where they flattened the ceilings overhead with tiles. It gave it the cozy farm feeling that all the buildings in town shared.

The store was owned by the same people who owned the farmlands just down the road. It was said that, aside from the mayor, the whole family was the richest people in town and Laguna believed it. Combined, they were the ones supplying the town with the majority of their food and resources. The farm down the road was owned by the farmer's family, and it was said that, aside from the mayor, they were the richest people in town. Laguna believed it; combined they were the ones supplying the town with the majority of their food.

As they entered the shop, the bell that was hung along the threshold chimed when the door hit it, alerting the three men who were standing by the cash register that they had customers. However, upon looking up and spotting Laguna and Kiros at the door, their faces darkened, almost as though his very presence had ruined their day.

"So," Ralph, the man behind the counter and the one in charge of the store, barked crisply. He straightened his back, making himself appear taller and emphasising a girth that had been gained through working in the fields on the farm. He was roughly as tall as Kiros as he was now. "You're all better now. About damned time too. Maybe now you'll get the fuck on outta here!"

Beside him, Kiros narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, clearly not intimidated at all by the man across from him. The two guys beside Ralph, Paul and Geoffrey, barked out a laugh. Recognizing the warning signs at the very sight of his friend, Laguna cleared his throat awkwardly, knowing that they would have to make this stop short. "Yeah, I am," he said, not unkindly. This garnered him an incredulous look from Kiros that he ignored easily enough. "But I'm here 'cuz Raine asked me to pick up a few things."

Ralph's lip curled slightly, almost as though the thought of Laguna staying any longer than he had was most unappealing but he offered no more objections and resumed his conversation with his other customers.

Laguna sighed in relief, glad to have avoided the resulting fight that would have ensued and, not for the first time, grateful that Raine was so well liked in this town. Gesturing for Kiros to follow him, Laguna went about searching for the eggs and milk he needed to pick up. It did not go unnoticed to him that Kiros stuck to him like an extra limb. It was almost as though the younger man was worried he might get jumped or something if his back was turned for too long.

"How is Raine, anyhow?" Geoffrey asked suddenly as Ralph rung up the items.

"Huh?" Laguna at first wasn't sure it was him they were addressing, but he caught on pretty quickly and was able to recover accordingly. "Oh, yeah. She's doing okay. Pretty good actually."

"She'd be even better if _you_ were gone," Paul snorted from beside Geoffrey. Both Geoffrey and Ralph laughed at Laguna's expense who quickly paid for his purchases and signalled to Kiros that they were leaving, flushing in embarrassment as he wordlessly left the trio to their devices.

As they proceeded down the steps, Laguna heard the loud _bang _of the door slamming shut behind them, barely masking the sound of the trio's laughter. Just as he was about to declare that they were returning to Raine's pub but he was suddenly gripped by the shoulder and made to spun around and face his friend, who had an ugly angry look in his features. "What the _hell, _Laguna?"

"What the hell what?" Laguna asked back but the dark look in Kiros' expression deepened and the last word was caught in his throat.

"You're not stupid, Laguna, so stop acting like it." Kiros spoke sharply, but did not raise his voice, not even once. That was the scariest part, because quiet angry people were always far more intimidating than loud angry people, mostly because they were far more unpredictable with their rage. When someone was shouting and screaming in your face, you at least knew where the situation was escalating. "Where is the Laguna Loire that I knew back in the day? The one who would have stepped up and told off the idiot who even thought of talking to him like those goons just spoke to you?"

There was no reason for Laguna to ask him what he was talking about. Back in Deling City, there had been instances where they were hassled in the places they frequented, and many of those instances had been made worst by Laguna running his mouth when he shouldn't. Laguna was good-natured but he was also against being treated in a way he didn't deserve, and he would raise his voice when an injustice was being committed.

"And now look at you," Kiros continued, his anger pressing him forward. "All I've seen since coming here are those ignorant, ungrateful assholes walking all over you…"

"There's a lot to this that you don't-"

"And here you are, rolling out the red carpet and letting them do it!" Kiros finished, raising his voice only in an attempt to talk over Laguna, who threw up his arms in frustration of not being listened to. Kiros didn't know a thing about the situation in Winhill, so how could he possibly understand the feelings of the villagers?

"What exactly am I missing here, Laguna?" Kiros asked, seemingly reading his mind. "Why don't you try to enlighten me to the reason you're letting these people kick you like a dog who pissed on the carpet? Tell me why _I _should put up with watching them treat you this way, or so help me I'll march back in there and rearrange those rednecks' faces until they look like the Caterchipillars and Bite Bugs we've been killing all morning!"

The look on Kiros' face told Laguna that he was deathly serious in his threat and seemingly for emphasis the dark skinned man folded his arms across his chest and fixed him with a look that dared Laguna to call his bluff. Laguna let out the deep breath he'd been holding for the last minute or so in his exasperation. Despite how irritated he was at Kiros' persistence, he knew he owed the younger man an explanation. He knew that if the situation was reversed, he would be worked up in a fury just as his friend was.

So he decided to extend the olive branch, all the while believing that Kiros just wouldn't get it. "I'm an outsider."

The expression in Kiros' features shifted from anger to disbelief and confusion. "You're an outsider? That's the reason you let them treat you like shit? What do you mean by that?"

"That's just it," Laguna said with a shrug. "I'm an outsider. I wasn't born here. I wasn't raised here. People here don't know me. I'm a complete stranger that they don't trust. They have every right to act the way they do."

"That a fact?" Kiros asked, and the anger was back, mingled with the disbelief he surely felt. "They can walk all over you and treat you with disrespect because you're a stranger? Does that sound stupid to you too, or is it just me?"

"I told you you wouldn't understand," Laguna said with the shake of his head.

"So explain it to me," Kiros asked in exasperation. "Explain to me why your being a stranger makes any difference."

Hefting another sigh, Laguna forced himself to continue as best he could, feeling like he was betraying the villagers even talking about this. "This town we're in. It's not a part of the Galbadian Republic. It's sheltered off from the rest of the country and the people depend on themselves to get by. It's not much, but everyone here's happy. So why do you see Galbadian soldiers stationed throughout the town?"

Kiros opened his mouth to say something but stopped, realization dawning in his gaze. After a moment, he shut it and nodded in his understanding.

"It's not a part of Galbadia, and yet the Galbadians see to it to keep a watchful eye over it. That's because this town is on the receiving end of frequent attacks from the Esthar forces."

"But why?" Kiros asked. "There's nothing here."

"I don't know," Laguna answered with a shrug. "No one does, not really. Maybe because Winhill's an easy target because of how secluded everyone is, but that's only my best guess. I don't know what makes this town so special to Esthar, but for whatever reason, the Sorceress over there has her eyes set on it. But her soldiers don't usually leave empty handed."

Laguna took a breath before continuing, fixing his gaze on Kiros as he pressed on. "The children. Her soldiers abduct the children who live here from their homes, from their parents and take them back with them to Esthar."

There was no shift in his expression, though the sight of the other man's jaw clenching was enough of a sign to know he understood the implications. "There's livestock they could eliminate – a lot of the produce gets shipped to places like Timber, and other towns around the area that get transported to all parts of Galbadia. Despite being left out of citizenship, Winhill contributes to the country. Wiping out their livelihood would hinder the Galbadian forces. But the soldiers leave that and the villagers alive and resort to kidnapping little kids."

"Why steal the kids from their families when they can do so much damage?" Kiros asked.

"I've been hearing things, chatter from the radios the soldiers carry around," Laguna confessed. Kiros arched an eyebrow but he knew he wouldn't be judged, even if he was technically a civilian and the only reason he'd overheard anything at all was because he'd temporarily borrowed one, just to hear what was going on. "Apparently the Sorceress is making preparations in case anything happens to her. Paranoid thought, I know," he added, knowing full well that it would take a miracle to end the life of a Sorceress, "but it seems like she's looking for a successor. When I heard that, something in my head clicked. You see, the children that have been abducted… they're all girls. It makes perfect sense, except that she's stealing kids from _here _rather than recruiting them from her own country."

"That is odd," Kiros mused aloud. "Why go to your enemy to bestow one of _them _with the power you wield when you've got just as many kids to choose from in Esthar."

"Exactly what I thought," Laguna agreed. "Unfortunately, I couldn't hear much else because I was discovered with the so-called 'missing' radio and I had to give it back or chance an ass kicking, and when I asked about it, I was told not to say a word and to forget I'd even heard it. Judging from that alone, our side isn't much closer to figuring this thing out than we are."

"But then, why would these people not trust you?" Kiros asked in confusion. "You were a former Galbadian soldier, surely they would have known that. At least some of these soldiers would have, and they'd have said something about it by now in front of the villagers. Shouldn't they be licking your boots or something because of what the army's done for them?"

Laguna shook his head sadly, hating that this was the reality of things and being unable to change it. "The villagers know that the government has mandated the soldiers presence, if only because of the attacks. Moreover, the soldiers stationed here don't hide the fact that if they could be doing something else, they would be. They don't care about the citizens, only in their objective. They won't even lift a finger to help with the monster troubles."

"But you are, and they still treat you this way."

"Because they don't trust me. They think I have an ulterior motive, that there's something in it for me. There's not, you and I both know that, but they don't, and they won't listen even if I swear up and down that it's the truth. And the Esthar soldiers sure aren't helping things by snatching up their kids. They've lost good people trying to stop them, and they truly feel they're on their own. Even Raine doesn't trust the soldiers much, and Ellone…" Laguna shook his head. "Ellone's already suffered enough in their opinion. That's why they want me gone so bad."

"What makes Ellone and Raine so special?" Kiros asked.

"Because Ellone's parents were one of the ones killed during the Esthar attacks."

Kiros blinked in surprise and Laguna forced himself to continue, not completely missing the sad tone in his own voice. "The soldiers came one day and went into Ellone's house. They tried to take her away but the soldiers shot and killed them for it. Ellone managed to escape only because Raine sneaked in while they were looking around for any other resistance. Elle was only two when it happened. More than likely she barely even remembers what happened, but it's in her subconscious. She doesn't like guns very much," Laguna raised the submachine gun for emphasis as he spoke, "but the villagers remember. They also remember the soldiers acting much too late to stop them. That was the only time the enemy left Winhill empty handed, or so the villagers say."

Steeling himself, Laguna fixed Kiros a stern look, swallowing back the sadness. "That's why I won't stop them when they say what they say, do what they do or act how they act. The whole village as every reason not to trust anyone outside their circle, anyone they don't know. But they've been kind to me despite what they say," Laguna forced a laugh and shrugged. "They coulda left me to bleed to death at the base of the mountain, after all."

No words were spoken for what felt like the longest minute in Laguna's life, though he patiently waited as Kiros absorbed everything he'd told him. The darker skinned man's gaze seemed very far away in his thoughts and Laguna felt the need to let him work things out in his own time.

But when he finally opted to speak, it wasn't at all what Laguna had expected to hear. "You're pathetic."

The words hurt more than any wound Laguna had sustained in his life and he even had to draw in a breath to weather the blow. Kiros' gaze was fixed on him, hardened and trained enough to force the older male to sweat a little. His tone was cold and accompanied the blunt words nicely, but he was not done. "How do you expect for them to respect you when all you do is take it like a bitch in heat?"

His expression softened somewhat and he shook his head and let out an aggravated sigh. "I believe that was one of the first things you ever said to me, back when we first met."

It didn't take very long for Laguna to remember what Kiros was talking about and when it came back to him, he suddenly felt like a very big fool. Most of the requirements for enlisting with the military were very mundane and easy enough to meet, particularly if you wanted to be a soldier in the front lines. Because of this fact, many of the people you met in basic tended to stem from the ignorant variety, the men and, sometimes, women who were raised to believe that their status were above those who were less fortunate, be it wealth or creed and, often times, colour.

Unfortunately, Kiros had suffered during his first few years in the military solely because his skin was darker than most. The Centran civilization – destroyed 80 years ago thanks to the Lunar Cry – had been made of with the majority of dark skinned people and many who had survived the attack had fled to the neighbouring continents in order to rebuild their lives. What waited for them instead had been a stigma and a prejudice that was beyond their imagining and outside of their control.

Laguna remembered all too well the razing Kiros had received from the people who were supposed to be their comrades and when he'd defended him, the young man had told him stubbornly that the retaliate against their actions was to drop down to their level. Laguna had responded back with the same words Kiros was using now, if only to knock some sense into him.

Laguna chuckled a little at having his words thrown back at him. "You've been waiting a long time to use that one on me, haven't you?"

"That's not the point," Kiros replied, quite serious in fact. All humour drained from him as though it was water running down the gutter and he remained in sobered silence as he listened. "Whatever stigma people may have against the Centran civilization was branded on me because of how I look. The actions of other people and their behaviour towards their current mission has been branded on you because you're not a native to this hick town. I'm not saying you have to stir up shit and start a fight because someone looks at you funny, but don't just take a punch and ask for another like a good little whipping boy. That's what you are to these people and let's face it, that's all you're ever going to be if you don't stand up for yourself once in a while."

The former soldier sighed, knowing that the taller fighter wouldn't let him off the hook until he at least agreed. "Alright, alright. I promise, okay?"

Kiros didn't look convinced, but he nodded anyway before letting the subject drop, at least for the meantime. "So where to now, 'Monster Hunter'?"

Laguna grinned, thankful for the change of subject. Talking about Winhill's past and the way the villagers were treating him was a serious downer. "Well, our first patrol is done, so we should head back to headquarters and report to the Commander."

Kiros' donned a curious expression and tilted his head to the side slightly. "When you say 'Commander', do you mean that woman at the pub?"

For some inexplicable reason, Laguna felt himself get angry at the phrasing and before he could stop himself he snapped at his friend, "Raine! Her name is _Raine_! Show a little respect, for the woman, will ya? If it hadn't been for her, we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"Okay, okay, I understand. Raine's her name. Got it." Kiros said in an attempt to appease his former commander. "She seems like a nice enough person too, now that I think about it, but definitely taken in by a hot shot."

"A hot shot?" Laguna echoed indignantly. "What do you mean a hot shot?"

Kiros grinned in response and Laguna frowned, seriously having no clue at all what the younger man was getting at. It didn't help matters when Kiros chose to force them back onto the subject at hand. "So, what happens once we get back to 'base'?"

"Then we'll have lunch and go on our second patrol," Laguna said after a moment, allowing the topic to drop. At the dubious look on Kiros face, Laguna couldn't help but break out into a grin. "C'mon, you know as well as I do that monsters never sleep."

"Uh..."

"Anyways," Laguna interjected before Kiros could correct him, _again_. "We can't keep 'em waiting."

* * *

It didn't take too long for them to get from the other side of town back into the grassy rural surroundings. From what Laguna could remember from the tour he had taken (Raine had shown him around when he was well enough to walk), they were just coming up to one of the numerous farms in the country, only this one had ranged Chocobos - yellow birds that were big enough to ride.

"So..." Kiros said suddenly. Neither one of them had spoken since they'd started the trek back to Raine's pub. Laguna wasn't really sure what had occupied his mind up until then, only that he blinked and they were suddenly where they were. "I wanted to mention it earlier, but I didn't want to just spring it on you. Just out of curiosity, how long are you planning on doing this patrol thing? Do you do this every day?"

"Thing?" Laguna asked, forcing his tone to go indignant though there was no real animosity in it. "What'd'ya call _thing_?"

Kiros got the hint that the elder man was only joking and continued regardless, seemingly ignoring the comment. "Well, you wanted to be a journalist instead of joining the military, right? I've got some news that might interest you."

"Oh?" Laguna asked; they were walking at a leisurely pace and he was trying to see if he could catch a glimpse at the Chocobos in the area. He gave up as soon as the topic peaked his interest though and gave the younger man his full attention.

"Well, while I was looking for you, I wound up in Timber. There's a magazine there called 'Timber Maniacs'. I'm sure you've heard of it."

Laguna had heard of it alright. It was one of the big magazines that had sprung up once Timber had been occupied by Galbadia two years back. Despite only being roughly around a year old, it was a pretty big hit with the locals and tons of people in the country read it. "What about it?"

"Well, I had a talk with the chief Editor," Kiros continued. "And he says he's interested in any article that talks about world travel. That's right up your alley. You've always loved travelling, and you like to talk about the things you encounter when you get there, so you should look into it."

Laguna frowned suddenly. It was his dream job come true. Being able to travel to different places and talk about the things he saw and experienced, about the people he'd met along his journey, it had all been something he'd always aspired to do. In fact, if it hadn't been because of that snooty guidance councillor in his High School telling him point blank that he'd never make it as a writer and there was absolutely no way he could get into any college with the way his grades were, he wouldn't have ever contemplated enlisting in the first place. He hadn't given up on the dream at all and had aspired to attend higher learning once he'd finished his tour.

But that had been over ten years ago. Here he was, twenty nine years old and, up until a moment ago, nowhere near close to achieving that goal. Learning about a job offer like this should have made him happy, cheerfully grinning like the idiot he'd always been accused of being.

But instead of feeling lighter than air, he felt heavier than lead. It was everything he could've ever hoped for in his life, but applying for the job would mean he'd have to pick up and move to Timber, leaving Winhill behind. And even though the people in the town were horrible to him and treated him like a nuisance he didn't want to leave.

By the time Kiros had managed to rouse him from his thoughts, they were standing back at the fork that was just outside of Agnes' flower shop. Laguna didn't really feel like checking in on her again, and had been planning on getting back to the pub as quickly as humanly possible. Unfortunately, Kiros had other ideas.

"You okay?" Kiros asked for was seemed like the thousand time, as though he'd been trying to talk to him for the last few minutes.

"Yeah, I'm alright..." Laguna said before he decided to ask a question that would probably produce more questions. He wouldn't look forward to answering them, but he just wanted to make sure he still had time to… do whatever it was he needed to do. "Listen, are you planning on tagging along when I head off to Timber?"

"Of course," Kiros said while grinning good-naturedly. "As I said, you're my source of entertainment."

Laguna chuckled lightly at that. "Well, would you mind if, maybe, well... we stuck around here for a little while longer?"

The look on Kiros' face begged the question 'why would you want to', but Laguna knew he wouldn't push the subject. "Do you need more time to gather more material? Personality clashes aside, it seems like a pretty nice town. Are you going to write about it first?"

"What?" Laguna asked, wondering what the hell would give Kiros that idea. He shook his head. Honestly, it had never crossed his mind to write about Winhill, and not just because of the lack of hospitality. "Nah. You see this place? It's so simple and peaceful. I can't write about something like this. It'd make this place famous and the locals would freak out at the amount of 'Outsiders' coming to town.

An expression akin to realization appeared on Kiros' features and Laguna knew he wasn't going to like what he had to say next. "You're afraid someone will come along and steal Raine away, huh? Kind of like what happened with Julia?"

Instead of answering him, however, Laguna turned his back on the taller man and pointed ahead as he said, "I see a monster!"

And he ran off before Kiros could come up with a retort.

Kiros managed to catch up to Laguna at the other side of the bridge over the water where there wasn't a single monster in sight, and they continued right towards the pub, Laguna pushing the door open with little resistance. However, he found that there was no one on the first floor. The space behind the bar was empty.

After checking the kitchen and the cellar in the basement and coming up empty, Laguna and Kiros headed up the stairs to check the second floor. He pushed against the green door and found that there was no resistance; it had been left unlocked. The pair continued up the stairs but when they were near the top, he heard familiar voices.

"Girl talk," he whispered, indicating that they go back downstairs. However, Kiros, who was baring his path, didn't budge. "Kiros, c'mon! We can come back later."

"Something in my gut tells me to listen," Kiros said, rooting himself to the spot. "For _both_ of us to listen."

"Is it your gut, or the faerie?"

"Does it matter?" Kiros said before inclining his head to the side and signalling for Laguna to shut up. Despite his better judgement, he did.

"Raine..." Ellone said from somewhere nearby; Laguna couldn't tell since they were hiding beneath the landing. "Are yoo gonna marry Uncle Laguna?"

Kiros smirked at Laguna, something the elder fighter took as an 'I told you so'. Laguna ignored him, but could not ignore the state of shock he was in after hearing that question. What would give the little girl the idea that the pair were going to get married?

"Me?" Raine's voice was equally clear, though Laguna could tell that it wasn't nearly as close, "marry a guy like that? Why would I? He was carried in here, crying like a baby, and I was the one they expected to take care of him, and all because of that nursing course I took a few years ago."

The woman paced around, and Laguna felt his shoulders sag, a depression caused by hurt feelings lowering his spirits and sending them hurtling to the floor. Of all the people in Winhill, Raine had treated him the nicest. In the beginning, she'd been of a similar opinion as everyone else, but as the time passed, he'd thought she had warmed up to the idea of him being around, what with him helping around the pub and running errands for her. But hearing her say these things, Laguna couldn't help but wonder if maybe it really was time to move on. He hadn't realized he'd been a burden to her and hearing what she had to say now was a real eye opener.

"He speaks crudely, almost like some poorly raised teenager," Raine continued, oblivious to her unannounced audience, "and I don't think he'll get very far as a journalist unless he fixes up that vocabulary of his. And every single time I tried to have a serious conversation with him it's 'oh, I've gotta do this', or 'sorry Raine, the monster's aren't gonna wait for me to kill 'em'. Not to _mention_ his snoring. It's so loud I can hear him through the walls, and the houses aren't even connected!"

Beside him, Kiros chuckled lightly while Laguna scowled.

"And when he's not snoring, he's talking! Oh my God does he ever _talk_! He talks more when he's asleep than he does when he's awake!"

"Is that...?" Laguna whispered in alarm, trying to keep his voice down.

"'Fraid so buddy," Kiros answered just as quietly before patting the gunner sympathetically on the shoulder.

Just as Laguna didn't think the insults would stop there, Ellone jumped into the conversation. "But he's really, really nice, and I like him a lot." The matter-of-fact tone made it sound like that was really all that mattered in the world. "He reads me stories, plays games with me and beats up the Bunbuns."

Laguna could tell that Ellone was scrunching up her face at the thought of the Bite Bugs. "Raine, Uncle Laguna and Elle should be together always!" She suddenly declared, as though that solved the matter.

"It's not that simple, Elle," Raine said, and her tone was a lot calmer than when she'd been complaining about him. She sounded almost disappointed. "I know if 'Uncle' Laguna stays here, it'd make _you_ happy, but you have to think about what would make _him _happy. Guys like him, they can't hang around a small town like this for very long; he's already been with us a year and he must be going stir crazy with practically nothing to do. Do you remember when he was telling us about all the places he'd travelled and how happy it made him feel just remembering about them?"

There was a silence, one that Laguna interpreted as Ellone nodding in response to the question. He remembered those times as well, and it brought a smile to his features despite the ill words that had been spoken about him just moments ago. "Well, I think that's really what he wants to do. To travel the world, meet all kinds of people and see all the sights and different cities and towns. Some people just don't have it in them to settle down and live in a quiet little town like this. He came from a really big city where everything goes really fast, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was bored living here for as long as he has already. But it makes me so mad just thinking about it."

He heard shifting. From the sounds of it someone was sitting on a couch and since Raine had been pacing he was pretty sure the movement had come from Ellone. "So yoo don't like him." She said. She sounded wounded at the thought that someone didn't like the man she'd adopted as her 'Uncle'. He felt just as bad as she did at the prospect and wondered why it bothered him so much.

"That's not what I said, Elle," Raine said before sighing. The sound of footfalls was coming closer as she continued. "I feel the same way you do, but ultimately, the choice is up to him. I would _love_ to have him stick around for a while longer if only that, but..." she trailed off suddenly and when Laguna looked up, she saw her staring at both him and Laguna over the railing, her blue eyes wide with surprise before they narrowed dangerously at the sight of them crouched down against the wall. She'd probably walked over to lean against it or something, but had instead caught them in the act of eavesdropping.

Knowing that the jig was up, Laguna signalled for Kiros to follow his lead and climbed the stairs two at a time, as though he'd only just gotten back. Kiros' acting skills weren't nearly as good as his own (or so he liked to boast), but he did a decent job of it.

Laguna breathed heavily, as though he had just run a mile just to get back. Ellone happily slid off the couch, causing the cushions to slide forward a little and she clapped her little hands excitedly. "Yay! Yoo're back!"

"I...came as...fast...as...I could..." Laguna said through false intakes of breath. Raine folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow – a sure fire sign that his act was not working. Fortunately she hadn't called him out, probably because thought the performance was good for Ellone.

Still, he gulped lightly at the glare she fixed him, composed himself and strode over towards Raine. She wasn't as tall as Laguna – the top of her head barely reached his shoulders after all – but she looked somewhat intimidating as she waited for him to speak. "I've come to report the first patrol's progress." He purposely deepened his voice to make himself sound more important and stood ramrod straight, as though he were addressing a real company commander. Offering her a salute, he continued on. "Including Buchubuchus and Bunbuns that Assistant Commander Ellone oh so hates..."

Ellone made a face just thinking about the monsters and it was almost enough for Laguna to break his character role. "I've exterminated two large nests of monsters."

"Alright, thank you," Raine said, her irritation seemingly forgotten in her shock. Laguna could barely make out the tiniest of smiles creasing her features and could have cheered at the small victory. "That's more than you usually get done. Congratulations."

"It was nothing," Laguna said, rubbing the back of his head. He felt bad about taking the credit away from the Faeries, but if he were to talk about them, he'd end up locked up for the rest of his life. "I had Kiros here to help out this time."

Kiros bowed slightly in response. There was no doubt in the gunner's mind that his partner-in-crime would sooner take this secret to the grave rather than admit the truth.

"Oh!" Raine said suddenly, as though suddenly remembering something. "You both must be _starving_. Sorry, I haven't started making any food yet, I didn't expect you back so soon."

She paced the length of the room for a minute and Laguna couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was very rare that Raine got all flustered but each time he saw it, he just couldn't get enough of watching her. Finally, she looked up from her thoughts and fixed her gaze onto him. "Did you get the things I asked for?"

Laguna nodded in response without hesitation, offering another salute that made Ellone giggle. While he'd been looking for Raine and Ellone earlier, he'd put the milk and eggs in the refrigerator so they wouldn't go bad.

"Alright, alright…" Raine said, as though attempting to collect her thoughts. Laguna could see the gears turning in her mind as she thought up the possibilities of what she could fix them for lunch. "Then I'll get right to work. I'll try not to take too long. Kiros, you don't have any food allergies do you?"

She suddenly stopped and tilted her head to the side, as though silently inquiring about something. "You must've worked hard this morning though, you both look so tired, and it's not even noon. Maybe you two should have a nap. I promise I'll have something fixed up for you when you wake up. If you're not up by then, I'll wake you when it's time to eat."

* * *

After convincing Raine it was alright that she didn't have lunch prepared yet (she felt so bad about it that Laguna couldn't help but feel bad in turn), they agreed that a rest would do them some good. Reaching the abandoned house without much incident, both heaved a sigh of relief at their close call. It wasn't everyday one got away with eavesdropping on a girl's private conversation and they considered themselves lucky that they managed to get out of there without any injuries (even if it would've just been bruising).

When they reached the second floor, Laguna directed Kiros to the room down the hall – the one that Ellone's parents had used when they were still alive. After waving off the concerned inquiries of where he was going to sleep, he watched Kiros (begrudgingly) trudge down the hall towards the master bedroom before returning to the little room he had been staying in. Kiros was much taller than him and thus would need more space to lie down. Besides, he'd slept in worse places than a puny twin sized bed.

When he was sure Kiros was out of sight, Laguna entered room and took in every detail he could before staring at the little bed for so long that the second almost because another second. It was stupid when he thought about it, but since he'd come to Winhill something strange had been happening to him. He'd be in Winhill one day, and the next he'd be somewhere else that was totally unrecognisable. He'd never learned what it was, due to the fact that it was a ridiculous notion to begin with and everyone else in town already thought he was strange. As much as he would have appreciated being able to confide in someone else, he had decided long ago he would keep it to himself.

But the ridicule he would suffer should he tell anyone was the least of his worries; deep down he was afraid of waking up somewhere else, not because it was unfamiliar surroundings, but because he wouldn't be able to wake up to the pitter-patter of Ellone's tiny feet hitting the ground as she attempted to wake him up. He wouldn't be able to wake up to Raine either.

He didn't know why, but both options scared him half to death.

Laguna didn't know what was happening to him, or why he felt the way he did. It was enough to know that he did, and somehow, losing Raine and Ellone was scarier than the prospect of losing his own life.

As he laid down onto the soft mattress he'd become accustomed to for the last year, he prayed to whatever deity out there to let him wake up in the puny bed, to keep him in Winhill and to let him stay with Raine and Ellone for at least a little while longer if not indefinitely. He wanted that more than anything, more than to recreate that night in Julia's hotel room, more than what the job in Timber had to offer him, even more than experiencing battles every day and leading an exciting life of travel and adventure.

"I've really changed, haven't I?" Laguna wondered aloud to himself, and he continued to stare at the ceiling above as though it would give him all the answers to questions he couldn't even begin to fathom.

* * *

_Despite the fact that I hated writing this section of the story, it came to me rather quickly. I know that I normally put author's notes at the beginning of the chapter, but I didn't want to spoil a lot of what happened in this installment. First and foremost, the treatment of Laguna. It was barely even touched upon in the game, so I figured I would add some information about that and try to explain the behaviour of the Winhill natives and why they were so eager for Laguna to leave their town._

_And yes, I did bring up the racism card when I had Kiros bring up his past troubles in the military. It's unfortunate, but things like that happen all the time, and it seems to me that Laguna would step in if an injustice had taken place. I'm fairly certain that we can all assume why he decided to go with the flow and not be the whistle-blower when he in turn was the victim of such prejudice._

_Wow, I sincerely hope I haven't turned people away from this story because of the dark subject matter. Well, either way, please let me know your thoughts in a review since we all know that I don't read minds._

* * *

**Edit: **_I expanded a bit on Laguna's explanation to the villager's treatment of him as well as added some more colourful language. Normally I wouldn't even bother to put a note here, but I figured I might have an uproar over Laguna's past actions and the way he acted so I figured I owed you guys an explanation._

_In my mind, Laguna was a rather irresponsible and carefree man. Most of the time, while playing the game, we saw the sunny-side up version of him, all happy-go-lucky, wouldn't hurt a fly (unless it was a Bite Bug, lol) kind of guy. I think that the irresonsibility and carelessness of Laguna would not only make him an overly positive person but it would result in a lot of trouble and jumping in head first in a lot of situations. Laguna does not strike me as the kind of guy to not take offense when instigated by someone who calls him crude names or starts a fight, especially if that someone drags another person into the mix. In this chapter, we see how he's grown out of that childish first response and he thinks more carefully about the perspective of the ones taunting him. This in turn forces him to become more of a passive character with Kiros reminding him that while it's a good idea to refrain from acting on emotions, leaving things as they are and letting people bully you also isn't right and makes you out to be a doormat. _

_I don't know. I hope I didn't fail in this attempt. Furthermore, I hope you enjoyed the changes to the chapter._


	3. Chapter I: Delta Mirage

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter I:  
Delta Mirage**

* * *

It was the pounding between his temples that brought him back from the edge of unconsciousness.

As he drew nearer and nearer to consciousness, he realized just how badly his head hurt, feeling like someone came at it with something hard in an attempt to split it open like a melon. But as awareness filled him, he suddenly recalled that they had, though whether or not they were trying to split it open was still up in the air.

Having opened his eyes he took in his blurred surroundings as he tried to piece together just where the hell he was. When the haze broke through, he started to recognize his surroundings. The light did not come from the ceiling like in most rooms, but from the floor. The fixtures were actually positioned along the base of the wall on the length of the room but did exceptionally well in illuminating the room. The light glinted against the metallic grey walls and ceiling that dulled his senses, but there wasn't much else to look out within the room. The high ceiling seemed set up to discourage the room's occupants from attempting to escape via the ventilation shafts above. The room was most definitely designed to keep its occupants in.

He tried to remember how he'd wound up in such a dump and it slowly came back to him. During the last moments of his freedom he'd been running through the sewer in Deling City, having split up and lost track of his comrades shortly after having entered them. After a bit of running, he had opted to stick around and buy the others enough time to get to safety. The soldiers chasing him were dirty fighters, concentrating solely on outnumbering him rather than taking him down by sheer force and it had worked in the sense that he'd become disoriented. The final blow had come from one of the bastards who had sneaked up from behind and clubbed him in the back of his head with a well-aimed hit, rendering him unconscious, despite his Guardian Force junctions.

From his recollection, that had happened almost a week ago. They'd been imprisoned for that long. Why his head still throbbed though was beyond him.

"Ah, welcome back, Zell."

Zell Dincht turned to look in the direction the voice had come from – he hadn't picked himself up off the floor and was currently lying on his side. Sure enough, the other prisoners in the room were still there. Quistis Trepe, a former instructor from Balamb Garden and Selphie Tilmitt, a newly inaugurated SeeD like himself, were sitting on one side of the room, on the floor. While the former preferred to kneel, the latter sat with her legs stretched out, tucked on either side of her with her hands on her lap. On his opposite side sat Rinoa Heartilly, who sat with her arms wrapped around her knees as she took in the scene with an almost bored expression. Apparently prisoners didn't warrant enough to the prison staff, so there were no beds or chairs to accommodate any of them. The only objects in the room were a toilet at the furthest end of the room and a sink close to it, presumably to wash up in.

"The dream world again?" Quistis asked knowingly.

The 'Dream World', as they called it, was when they were inexplicably dreaming about a place they couldn't even begin to explain. It was almost like viewing the past, but since no one was really a historian (the closest came to Quistis, but that was because she had taught the subject before losing her instructor's license), they couldn't confirm their suspicions. Unfortunately, this also meant they couldn't deny them either.

When he'd first come to and found himself in the dingy cell with Quistis and Selphie, he'd realized that his distraction hadn't been enough. It hadn't taken much for him to learn what had happened to the girls. Apparently, Quistis had made it almost as far as Caraway's mansion before the Galbadians had caught up to her and Selphie had, somehow, managed to take a wrong turn and ended up near the Presidential Residence, where the soldiers had been waiting for her.

Rinoa's explanation had been far more difficult to swallow and he'd been incredulous to learn that both she and their sharpshooter, Irvine Kinneas, had charged the gateway in order to off the Squad leader, Squall Leonhart, some backup. Unfortunately, it hadn't helped. Somewhere in the confusion, Irvine, the sleazy bastard, had disappeared and avoided capture while Rinoa had been arrested at the scene of the crime. According to her, Squall hadn't been near as lucky.

Thinking about it rationally (or as rationally as someone with Zell's temperament who was locked up in a cell seemingly indefinitely possibly could), he realized it had been a terrible mission from the beginning. The rushed arrangements hadn't helped matters, but expecting four SeeDs – three of them having only graduated barely a month ago, and one having just recently returned to the field – and a sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden (one who was all talk, apparently) had been lunacy. Zell was surprised that they _all_ hadn't bought the farm for their efforts, but he wasn't discounting that option entirely.

He had overheard the guards outside their cell at some point talking about the incident and their speculations on what was happening now. Someone was very well informed because one of them had said something about the officials working on re-establishing the government order, seeming doing some housekeeping. Zell assumed that meant Edea was weeding out those who she thought weren't loyal and were a potential threat. That meant that things didn't look too good for the Galbadian General, Ibrihim Caraway, the man who had put together this whole operation. That was, assuming, that the Sorceress was onto him.

To Quistis' question, Zell nodded wordlessly. The experience, as it had been the first time he'd gone to the dream world, was draining, and it took him some effort to pull himself into a sitting position. His stomach complained rather pointedly at the movement and it took a moment of control to keep the contents of his stomach (such as they were) from rising up to his throat. Rinoa listened wordlessly to the conversation, though her eyes had a far-away look that suggested she was lost in her thoughts.

Selphie sat a little straighter, her whole posture showing he had her undivided attention. "What's Sir Laguna up to this time?" She squeaked happily.

Zell shrugged in response, the action wiping the grin from the smaller girl's features. "Dunno. I didn't see him this time. It was just Ward. Not even Kiros was around."

"So how's Ward doing then?" Quistis asked as Selphie slumped back, her features scrunched up in her disappointment.

"Well, I can't really say," Zell said, scratching the back of his head. "I wasn't there the last time it happened, but they all apparently split up. Ward was given a medical discharge from the military and he got a job as a janitor in a prison."

Rinoa perked up, but Zell didn't pay much attention to her. "For the most part, I was wondering why he didn't talk or say anything. The guy wasn't even thinking about it. I had to hear about the injury from one of his coworkers who was gossiping to some other guy."

"His throat was damaged during the fiasco in that excavation site in Centra," Quistis said with a verbal shrug, though her hand reached up to her throat almost subconsciously. Zell recalled the former instructor mentioning how she had been Ward in the previous excursion to the dream world. "It must have done some damage to his vocal cords."

"Well at any rate, it's been about two years since then," Zell said. "Ward's bored out of his mind. He didn't say it, obviously, but I could _sorta _hear it in his thoughts. Can't blame him though. Mopping floors wasn't exactly very appealing. Apparently, Laguna up and left as soon as they got back without so much as a goodbye. And Ward isn't exactly in any position to go wandering around looking for him, right? All he really wants to do is fight with his friends by his side. It's a little sad actually."

"And as this sordid story progresses," Quistis said with a sigh, "we're nowhere near close to figuring out what's been happening to us. The parade and the attempted assassination were enough to distract us. Does anyone know what it is we're experiencing?"

Selphie shook her head in muted silence and Zell offered a shrug before leaning back against the wall of the cell. All he could offer was that maybe they were viewing the past, but again without a concrete source of knowledge about past events, it was like shooting in the dark.

"Zell..."

It was the first time Rinoa had spoken in the last few hours, and the sound of her voice echoed off the silent walls. It jarred the brawler from his own thoughts and even drew Quistis and Selphie from theirs. "What's up?"

"About that Ward person... didn't you say he worked in some kind of prison?"

Zell nodded, not entirely sure where she was going with this. "And aren't you normally Ward when you go to the dream world?"

"Just now I was," Zell answered with a shrug. "It's kinda random though. The first time I went, I was Kiros and _Selphie_ was Ward..." he stopped himself from continuing that line of thought, knowing it would only depress him more than he already was. "What's your point?"

"He's from Galbadia, right?"

Zell raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... what's that gotta do with...?"

"Does this room look familiar?" Rinoa finally asked, taking in their surroundings.

_Of all the stupid questions..._ Zell thought to himself bitterly, annoyed that his answer had been abruptly interrupted. It seemed as though their extended stay had finally gotten to her. But even as he reflexively took in the room he realized that she was right; while they had been locked up for the last few days with nothing to do but stare at the walls and ceilings that surrounded them, he remembered seeing them from a different perspective.

The brawler leapt up onto his feet, his hands balled into fists and the first stirrings of hope began to swell in the pit of his stomach. "I _do_ know this place!" He exclaimed, punching the air as he spoke. Quistis startled slightly, and Selphie turned to regard him while Rinoa smiled triumphantly. "Ward was a janitor like I said, but he was working _here_ all along! There are _tons_ of rooms that look like this one with prisoners locked up here, and some rooms like this were completely empty! I'm sure of it!" Turning to regard the raven haired girl in astonishment, he quickly added, "How were you so sure?"

"From everything you told me about the dream world," Rinoa said with a verbal shrug. "And because I know Deling. Right around the time he became the President of Galbadia, he had a prison built for political activists in the desert south of the capital. Loads of people regarded him as a dictator and didn't like the way he thought, and anyone who published anything that even suggested that opinion was arrested and dragged here."

Zell nodded to himself thoughtfully. He recalled that Selphie had mentioned something about that after reading a couple of copies of 'Anarchist Monthly', a short lived magazine that had been posted on a bulletin board in the Forest Owl's base. He also remembered hearing one of the resistance members mentioning something about the editor being dragged off to a prison for writing his particular views.

"Ward must've worked here when the prison first opened," Rinoa continued, despite Zell's inner musings. "I'm _sure_ we're in the same prison."

"It's no surprise that we've been placed here if you think about it," Quistis commented offhandedly. "We attacked the Sorceress. The Galbadians aren't stupid by any stretch of the imagination. They've probably already deduced that our goal was to kill her."

Rinoa shook her head, as though disagreeing with the blonde. "We went after the President back in Timber. They're going to kill us because of it."

"That President is no longer in charge of this country," Quistis reminded her and Zell frowned, knowing that the former instructor had a point. From what little Rinoa told them, the Sorceress had killed Deling like it was nothing. To make things worse, she'd done it in front of a whole crowd of spectators and, although Deling wasn't exactly the most popular guy in Galbadia, there still should've been an uproar.

"Now that the Sorceress is in control of Galbadia, there's no telling what she's going to do." Rinoa rested her head against her knees, as though the revelation of where they were was meaningless.

"Things aren't looking too good..." Selphie moaned aloud. Zell knew she wasn't stating the obvious for her own sake. She had said it more to disturb the quiet that would have settled almost instantly.

"Which is why we should come up with a plan of escape as soon as possible," Quistis suddenly said. "Anyone have any ideas?"

Before anyone could say anything, the door to their cell (which had remained shut unless trays of food – or what could barely pass as food anyway – were shoved inside three times a day) slid open and a man wearing a crisp uniform marched inside. It was difficult to see his face as his hat – a square shaped object with a black brim – was set low over his forehead and shielded his eyes. There was a gruffness in the way he just marched in that Zell didn't like. There was no way that this visit was going to be good and the brawler could feel it.

"Get the fuck back," the guard said in a tone that spoke of his authority. Zell guessed that this man had been working at the prison for a while and was used to sneering down at what he probably saw as insignificant people. All in all, he was a bully and there wasn't anything on this planet that Zell hated more than a guy who got his jollies from picking on others. He'd been the recipient of such attention for as long as he could remember; a reason why he'd opted to learn martial arts and perfect his technique.

"You understand who's in charge here?" The man sneered as the girls stepped back, their arms raised apprehensively. Zell, having risen into a standing position like the others when the guard had come in, simply stood his ground. He wasn't letting the guard intimidate him. The guard didn't appear to appreciate the insubordination. He stepped forward – having the advantage of height on his side – and grabbed a scruff of Zell's hair, yanking it hard and forcing the brawler to look him in the eye. "I asked you a fucking question."

Zell knew it was the wrong thing to do; he knew he would make the situation worse by doing it, but at that moment he didn't care. He made a rasping sound in the back of his throat as he gathered enough saliva and spat it at the guard, nearly catching him in the eye.

The colour drained from the man's face and, raising his left arm, he threw it down; the baton in his hand hit the brawler in the head. Because of an anti-magic field that was constantly on, he received no additional strength from his junctions and was unable to use magic. From the blow, he was forced to crouch down onto one knee. He heard the click of automated weapons and looked up to see two more guards levelling rifles at him. He watched them wearily, knowing that one false move on his part would render him a cheese grater.

The first guard smirked at his position and made to walk away but suddenly turned around, pulled his foot back into a kicking position and, an instant after Zell realized what was about to happen, plunged the appendage right between the brawler's legs. The blonde teenager gasped in barely suppressed pain and collapsed onto the ground, where the guard proceeded to kick and step on his prone form. The brawler was in too much agony to put up a proper defence.

"Stop it!" Quistis shouted from her vantage point. Zell distinctly heard the other two guards as their weapons became primed at the former instructor.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!"

"Stop it already!" Rinoa shouted from behind the guards.

"You're hurting him!" Selphie added.

The first guard was about to step on Zell again – the brawler winced in anticipation – but suddenly stopped. The brawler heard the man chuckle darkly before he crouched over the prone SeeD, grabbing the same bit of hair and pulled forcefully. Zell had no choice but to look up at him. "I almost forgot why I came in here. I'd say it's a safe bet that _you're_ not it, but which one of the girls is Rinoa?"

Zell was about to tell him to go fuck himself, but Rinoa stepped forward before he could make another unwise decision. "_I'm_ Rinoa."

The guard appraised her for a moment before unceremoniously releasing his grip on Zell's hair. The act was so abrupt that the brawler's forehead slammed against the metal floor and he released a low moan in response. "Oh, okay then. Step forward."

He heard Rinoa's footfalls as she obeyed the command, and managed to support his weight on his arms as he attempted to sit back up. "What'd ya want with Rinoa, you prick?"

For his effort, the guard kicked him – hard – in the stomach, knocking the wind out of the SeeD and causing him to wheeze in pain.

"Leave him alone," Rinoa said, and Zell could tell she was trying to keep her tone steady, "and I'll go."

Zell stared at her critically, wondering if she was sure that this was the right thing to do. He realized that the other two were staring at her the same way. "It's okay, I'll be fine." Rinoa assured them, though judging by the sound of her voice she wasn't all too convinced of this.

It wasn't until the doors closed that either Quistis or Selphie, no longer held at gunpoint, moved from their spot and helped a coughing Zell into a sitting position. No one said anything, but stared after the raven haired girl, wondering if their situation could get any bleaker.

* * *

To say that he was fairly confused would have been an understatement.

He'd felt consciousness swimming back to him long before he'd actually opened his eyes, and he'd almost shut them again when the light fixtures had nearly blinded him in their bright intensity. It was on the second attempt that he kept them open long enough to take in his surroundings.

The cell he was in was small and shaped like a three dimensional hexagon. It was metallic coloured, and the only things that filled his cramped surroundings was a door that looked as though it folded open, a toilet at the far end, and the gurney he lay on that looked as though the wall beside him was the only thing that supported it.

It had been fairly difficult to link the events that had taken place over the last little while, especially when taking into account his visit to the dream world. He had been so disoriented during the adventure that he'd actually believed for a little while there that he had been in control of the events. It had been when he'd encountered the monsters that he'd realized that this was not the case. His fighting instincts were entirely different from what had taken place and it had been shortly after that when he'd realized exactly what had happened.

Everything before that was a hazy mess of colour and being forced to think past the pounding that drummed between his temples wasn't helping matters. He remembered being on the float, locked in the Gateway with no real options for escape aside from a car he'd stolen. He remembered fighting the Sorceress, he remembered being completely and utterly _outclassed _by the Sorceress, even after Irvine and Rinoa had shown up to give him support (though he vaguely recalled telling Irvine to get him and Rinoa back to the mansion, though that in itself could've been a dream for all he could recall). Then he remembered a sharp pain through his chest just under his shoulder and he'd been falling…

He didn't even recall hitting anything, just that the next thing he knew he'd been lying there, disoriented, knowing full well that he was bleeding to death, the roof of the Gateway the only sight he was able to fix on. He'd heard shouting, a girl's voice he now knew belonged to Rinoa, and a struggle as she'd been no doubt restrained. Time seemed to shift and the next thing he knew he was surrounding by a bunch of blurs, their voices warped and distorted and incoherent, but he'd spotted a sight that he'd clung to even as he'd lost consciousness. He'd seen Seifer there, staring down at him.

Honestly, he wasn't entirely confident that it had been him in the end, what with the blurring vision, but just the colours that bunched together seemed to indicate that the elder cadet had been there, more than likely gloating.

_Goddammit, Seifer..._

The rage that always filled him whenever he laid eyes on his rival nearly frothed to the surface, but he kept it at bay with some effort. He wasn't in any position to be raging around without a plan of action. He knew Rinoa was around here somewhere, but wouldn't have been surprised if her father called in a few strings. He hadn't seen Irvine anywhere after the attack and assumed the sharpshooter had gotten away successfully. He could only hope that the others had managed the same.

Instinctively, he looked down, expecting to see a large gaping wound in his chest, but was surprised when he didn't see it. It was like it had vanished, with no scaring or stitching that would corroborate that it had even taken place. He remembered the pain so vividly – too vividly in fact – for it to have just been a nightmare.

Shortly after having made this discover he made another. His shirt was missing. In fact, most of his clothes were gone. His capturers had been kind enough to allow him to keep his jeans, but his boots and jacket were gone. They had even taken his socks and gloves. In fact, aside from his jeans, the only things that remained with him were the chain around his neck and the ring on his third finger on his right hand.

Unnerved by the loss of the most of his clothes, Squall pulled himself into a sitting position. Despite the disappearance of his chest wound, he had still expected at least a twinge of pain. He received none, and this unnerved him even more. He didn't quite understand why the Sorceress would've had him healed when he'd been trying to kill her. It didn't make any sense, unless she thought she could earn something in return for this sudden random act of mercy…

Shaking himself of these thoughts he forced them – and his experience from the dream world – from his mind and focused on figuring out a means of escape. He made a visual sweep of the room and was not surprised to find that his weapons were missing, as was the heavy belt that carried the sheath of his gunblade and the bandoleers that would normally be wound around his legs.

He frowned in contemplation, thinking that if the Galbadians had gone this far in their precautions that his next thought was pointless but he decided to try anyway. Concentrating on the warm of fire, he tried to summon forth a spell, only to produce small particles that flared up along his palm and dispersed. Scowling light, he attempted to tap into the rapport that had been forged between himself and his junctioned Guardian Forces, only to come up with nothing.

This caused his scowl to deepen. He didn't like his situation in the least.

He tried to stand, though there wasn't much else to the prison, but then the cell tipped forward. It happened so quickly, so _suddenly,_ that the SeeD was tipped forward by the motion, and hit his head against the metal, gasping and clutching at it with both hands as it started to throb. He felt further movement, and fell back onto the gurney, his back screaming at the contact. Then, he felt his stomach sink to the floor, and realized that his cell was moving on its own accord, almost like an elevator (though far more abusive).

He searched for any other means of exit and realized that there was only one. Although there was nowhere to run, the fact that the soldiers could only get to him through one door tipped the scales in his favour. Quickly as the cell's ascent slowed to a crawl, Squall forced himself to stand at the side of the door, his back against the wall. The guards would have to come in straight and probably expected him to be out of it. He could steal a weapon off of them and make his escape.

It was risky and there was no real guarantee that this was going to work, but it was the best plan he could come up with given the circumstances.

The door folded open. It was bigger than he had expected, the top half serving as some kind of bridge (which meant there was a gap to reach the other side). The first of the guards that were to come stepped inside. He gave the room a confused look as he searched for the prisoner, only for Squall to ambush him upon entering the cell. Grabbing him from the side, Squall wrapped his arm round the guards throat and, after twisting quickly, the man fell lip in his arms.

Backing away from the door, he searched the man for his weapon just as the rest of the guard's comrades stepped foot into the cell. Gripping the submachine gun tightly, he kicked the guard into his incoming comrades as he confiscated the weapon in one smooth motion. As they tried to recover from the sudden attack, Squall checked the clip, realizing that the guard had only just reloaded the weapon, before opening fire after slamming it back into place. He caught the guards in a spray of bullets, staining the opposite side of the cell red with their blood and watching as their lifeless bodies slumped against the floor.

Stepping out of the cell, he heard the loud clicking noises that signalled automatic weapons being primed. Grimly, he realized that they had either known to expect him to pull something like this or he had unwittingly given them the time needed to prepare. Regardless of how it happened, he found himself the sole target of a room full of automated weapons primed in his direction. He even noted a collection of red dots primed over his chest, signalling that some of the weapons pointed at him had laser sights for better accuracy. No matter what he chose to do, at least a good chunk of their gunfire was sure to hit him.

When he was instructed to do so, he tossed the weapon he held over towards them and raised his hands above his head. One of the guards stepped forward, his weapon still trained on the SeeD as he recovered the fallen weapon, and several of the guards stepped aside, forming a gap that looked wide enough for someone to pass through. He recognized the figure instantly. He recognized the short, cropped blonde hair of the tall figure approaching him, the silver trench coat that seemed much darker than it had previously, the blue t-shirt with the white lines forming a cross in the middle of his chest. Most blaring of all was the scar across his face, the one that mirrored his own.

"Squall, you're pitiful," Seifer Almasy sneered as he came to a stop. Squall made to clench his fists, but the sound of shifting fire arms forced him to stop. Still, he glared at the taller boy as he moved passed the crowd and soon they were staring at each other face to face. Seifer looked as though he was appraising the younger teenager, but then he reared back and punched him in the stomach.

Nearly swallowing his tongue from the pain, Squall fell onto his knees, cradling his stomach and gasping for breath between choking coughs. He was surprised that the blow had hurt so much. He'd even greyed out for a moment or so. During that point, he felt something on either side of him drag him away from the cell. By the time he regained his senses, the guards were strapping him onto something attached to the wall. They turned to walk away, but one of them stopped for a moment before turning back around and catching him in the face with the back of his machine gun.

Already he was breathing heavily and he could taste something coppery on the back of his tongue. It almost caused him to gag and he managed to spit it out onto the ground through a cough. He wasn't surprised to find that it was blood.

Then he heard a mechanical whirl and was suddenly hoisted up, his feet leaving their solid purchase with the ground and his stomach dropped at the sensation. It made him feel even more vulnerable than he had when he'd woken up, than when he thought he was going to die at that parade. He tried to shift his legs, but found that they had been bound together, while his arms were stretched out on either side of him, making him form a human 'T'. He struggled against his bindings but discovered to his dismay that he was strapped firmly.

"I would tell you what's about to happen," Seifer said as he entered the room. There were a few guards in the room with him as well. Two of them had moved to the console at the far end of the room, while two others stood at the door. The rest of the guards seemed to have gone back to their posts, "but I'd say that you already know."

Squall scowled but he knew that the elder boy was right. The Sorceress wouldn't have kept him alive if she hadn't wanted something in return. Most likely she wanted information, specifically about her assassination and his accomplices. And since Seifer was there, it was up to him to get those answers.

Squall doubted that it was just going to be a simple round of Q&A. More than likely torture was going to be involved and in the back of his mind he didn't know if he would be able to withstand it. Having been a SeeD for little more than a month, he knew he'd had some training in preventative measures when being interrogated by the enemy, and he sure as hell hadn't had any field experience.

Steeling himself, he knew he would just have to make the effort to keep quiet. Caraway and the others weren't going to be implicated because of him. He swore it.

"Yeah," Seifer continued on, despite Squall not having said a word. The SeeD kept an eye on him as he paced the length of the room and back. "You've figured it out already. So let's get straight to the point."

The blonde boy withdrew his weapon from an inside pocket of his trench coat – a sleek gunblade with a black blade – and pointed it straight at the prone SeeD. The tip of the blade was pointed straight at his chest. "Tell me what SeeD is."

The question caught Squall completely off guard, having not expected the question, and it left him utterly speechless. He couldn't understand why Seifer would be asking him about SeeD when the Sorceress was probably wondering about those who were responsible for the assassination attempt. It didn't make much sense, unless she believed that this was strictly a SeeD operation and was – purposely or otherwise – ignoring the outside sources that made the mission possible.

It was a well-known fact that SeeDs were an elite mercenary group from the Garden. They undertook missions around the world that other nations and officials couldn't handle because they were combat specialists. They'd gone up against Galbadia for years because of the mission requests they'd received from the surrounding nations and groups who felt threatened by their presence. He frowned in confusion as he directed his gaze towards Seifer, who had been at the Garden for most of his life. Wouldn't Seifer have already told the Sorceress all of this? Why the hell would he be asking _him _when he already knew the answer. "Shouldn't you know? You grew up in Garden."

Seifer laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Nice try," he said after a moment. "But I'm not a SeeD."

"Whose fault was that?" Squall shot back. He shook his head in confusion, though he did not miss the narrowing of the cadet's eyes. "Wait, what does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm saying it's pretty obvious that when someone obtains SeeDship, they're given some kind of secret to keep," Seifer answered simply. His eyes were still narrowed, and his tone had taken a controlled quality to it, like he was trying to reign in his temper.

Squall's frown deepened, knowing that there _was _no secret. The only thing that came to mind was the usual jargon that everyone knew.

But then he remembered that the Headmaster had been trying to explain something. Whatever it was, the Garden Faculty had cut him off not just the first time but directly after he'd learned he'd passed the exam. Then there was the Headmaster's assurance that the two of them would talk someday, about what, Squall had no idea.

Steeling himself for the cadet's response, Squall already knew that should he have been told something confidential like the sort of secret Seifer was eluding to, even if he knew whatever it was the Headmaster had been trying to say in both instance, he would be damned if he said anything here. Seifer was a traitor to the Garden, allied with the Sorceress, even if he was under a spell. There was no way he was going to know about it.

"There's nothing," Squall said, lifting his chin slightly in defiance and staring down his nose at Seifer. I helped that he had been elevated so that he was now taller than the other teenager. "And even if there was, do you honestly think I'd actually tell you?"

Seifer appeared thoughtful, his features neutral, not betraying at all what was going on in his head as he shook it. Then, slowly, a grin spread out across his face. It was a grin he did not like and he watched him warily as Seifer lowered the Hyperion. He then threw his head back and laughed suddenly.

At the sight, Squall's eyes narrowed. He wasn't too sure what he'd said that had amused the elder boy, but it appeared that Seifer wasn't taking him seriously. "Of course you wouldn't!" He exclaimed suddenly through his laugh. "You're as stubborn as they come. I honestly didn't think you would talk so easily. Actually, I would've been disappointed if you did. Still, I figured I had to at least try."

"What an honour," Squall deadpanned as he rolled his eyes.

The expression on Seifer's face suddenly tightened, erasing the mirth from his features as he suddenly raised his left hand. Squall watched the appendage warily, uncertain of what would come next. "So here's a little something for ya."

The former cadet snapped the fingers of his left hand, and from the corner of his eye he saw movement from beside the equipment set up at the far back wall. The SeeD heard a whirring sound from above and looked up to see a set of wires overhead. Before could register what was about to happen, his body suddenly seized up as thousands of volts of electrical energy surged through him. No sound aside from the current registered to his brain, and he wasn't aware that he had been screaming so loudly his throat grew raw until the surge dissipated.

He took in deep lungful's of air, blinking the stars from his vision and he was barely able to hear Seifer's laughter amidst the ringing silence. "That was only about... ten seconds. If you couldn't stand that, then you're really fucked. I'll increase the voltage _and_ the duration each and every time you fail to answer me."

His expression settled into a serious one, and Squall grit his teeth, determined not to let the elder boy get to him. "Now... Care to change your answer?"

Squall silently glowered at him, and Seifer made a sound in the back of his throat like an irritated sigh. "You know..." He started as he began to pace in front of the SeeD once again. He was tapping the Hyperion against his shoulder much like he had during the field exam in Dollet. "It'd be a whole lot easier if you just gave in. We could just bypass the whole torture bit and head straight to your execution." He arched an eyebrow. "You _did _know that we weren't going to live long after this, right?"

Squall refused to respond to that and settled with continuing to glower. Of course he'd known the end result. Hell, he'd have been dead already if the Sorceress didn't seem to think he had some valuable information. Seifer snorted at this and continued regardless. "Anyways, even if _you _don't say anything which, at this point, looks to be the most likely outcome, others will."

The SeeD frowned as his breathing steadied, unsure of what Seifer was talking about. He apparently didn't need to ask to receive an answer. "The instructor... nah, she'd put up a pretty good fight, even _I_ have to give her _some _credit. Maybe the Messenger girl... she came across as a babbler-mouth. Oh wait… How could I _possibly_ have forgotten about the Chicken-Wuss?" Seifer laughed loudly after the last one. "Yeah, he wouldn't last _five_ seconds in your position."

The former cadet laughed again, and Squall wasn't aware that his expression had betrayed his shock until he forced himself to speak. "What...?"

"What's the matter? Thought they'd all escaped? Yeah, right. Against the Galbadian military, two greenies and a hack instructor sure as hell ain't gonna stand a chance let alone get away. It's sad that they even tried, but I gotta give them points for effort I guess."

Seifer shook his head suddenly and made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like he was speculating something. "Looks like I had you pegged wrong. You're not as much of a pessimist as I thought. Seems only fair, I guess. You didn't _exactly _see my role in all of this coming and all that. The look on your face when you saw me on the float that first time was priceless.

"But getting back to the point," Seifer digressed with a sigh, "I could've chosen any one of _them_ to be in your place, getting the same shock treatment you're getting right now. But since I just like you _so_ much, I figured you could go first. So," he began to pace once again, "if you want to spare them the welcome treatment – and I'll be sure to go so much _harder _on them since I don't like them near as much as you – I'd suggest you start talking."

Squall's frown deepened at the threat, but his eyes narrowed, knowing the real reason he'd been selected to be interrogated first. Whatever it had been in the past, no matter what it was, it always came down to their rivalry. Seifer just couldn't resist rubbing the failed assassination attempt in his face. It didn't make the situation any better but it did mean the elder boy was going to drag this whole thing out.

His thoughts were proven accurate as Seifer's expression broke into a grin again. However, as he had been expecting the interrogation to proceed, what Seifer said next surprised him. "Changing the subject ever so slightly, how'd I look? You know, in my moment of triumph? You were there, so it only seems right to ask. Did you know that _I_ was hoping you'd be there to see it?"

"What _triumph_?" Squall exclaimed, suddenly aggravated by the notion he had lost their earlier fight. It was a bad idea, especially given his current position and he knew what the consequences of making Seifer mad in his current predicament was, but he just didn't care. "We _both_ know you would have lost that fight if your _owner_ hadn't called you off."

Seifer's smirk fell and Squall knew he'd touched a nerve. He pressed on, opting to apply some added pressure to it. "Face it Seifer, you _had_ to have the Sorceress step in to beat me. It's obvious that you've let yourself get run down, it's a shock that you still know how to hold your gunblade properly. But tell me one thing, just so we can clear the air. Were your _duties_ to the Sorceress more important than picking up your weapon and _training_?"

The expression on the blonde boys face darkened with each insult, with each insinuation, but Squall didn't care. Anything was better than that infuriatingly smug look. "Even now, you're not here because you want to torture me. A chance to see me squirm is pretty much the only perk you get here. You've been sent here because the Sorceress sees questioning us and getting the information she wants beneath her. You're nothing but a messenger dog to her."

"Do it," Seifer said abruptly, almost as though he were attempting to cut him off before he could finish but having only started just as Squall had spoken the last word.

The SeeD assumed that the guard had taken it as an order to turn the console back on and wasn't surprised when he learned he was right. Still, he was prepared this time. The SeeD grit his teeth, prepared to bite through his own tongue if it came down to it – anything to keep him from screaming again.

He writhed in pain, knowing that the charge wasn't taking nearly as long as it felt, but it hurt all the same. The current was higher – a testament that the former cadet had not been bluffing and it ran through his body. Little lights danced in front of his close eyelids, shifting from red, to blue, to white and back again before the current was mercifully shut off and he was left gasping and trembling with the occasional cough as he tried to fill his lungs with air. He forced himself to raise his head and glare at the other boy whose smirk had re-emerged. He had enjoyed watching the SeeD in pain, and had probably enjoyed the fact that he was the cause of it.

"Whatever you say, it doesn't matter," Seifer spoke calmly. He'd apparently managed to let Squall's words and their impact slide. "I'm standing here and you're chained up there. You're stuck as a worthless _grunt_ following orders you cannot possibly comprehend!"

Seifer's voice had risen in volume as he spoke, changing from the calm he had just regained to a harsh tone that left the SeeD feeling as though he'd just run into a wall. But as the former cadet continued, his voice lowered, returning to smug calm that the younger boy knew all too well. "But me... I'm different. My dream has finally been fulfilled; I am the Sorceress' Knight. Only those who are seen fit as capable warriors are granted such an honour, and I have proven myself to be just that."

His gaze darkened as he took in the SeeD before him, the smirk once again dropping from his features. "And there's not a god-damned thing you can do about it."

Squall could watch helplessly as his vision blurred in front of him as Seifer spoke, but he didn't have the energy to snap himself out of the daze and focus. It didn't stop him from hearing everything the elder boy was saying and it served as a reminder of Seifer's motives. He had learned something from their fight at the parade; an answer to the question that had been bothering him since the field exam.

Seifer's _romantic _dream was to become the Sorceress Knight.

He didn't need Seifer to ram the information down his throat, because he had gotten the message loud and clear when he'd heard the news the first time. But it had come as a shock and he still couldn't believe it. The only behaviour from the past that even hinted to something like that had _been_ the field exam. Any other time during their years at the Garden, the thought of being dominated by another – no matter who or what they were – had been unacceptable and intolerable to the elder cadet. Why should the Sorceress – her vast power aside – be any different?

The thought confused him. The drastic change in behaviour made no sense at all, or wouldn't have had the SeeD not known better. Seifer was ensnared by the Sorceress; being controlled and manipulated to her whims.

_You're not a knight Seifer, _Squall thought as he sank deeper and deeper beneath the surface of consciousness. _You're nothing more than her puppet._


	4. Chapter II: Retaliation

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter II:  
Retaliation**

* * *

The Dingo Desert was hot, humid and horribly unpleasant, even to those who enjoyed the heat beating down upon their backs. Cacti littered the side of the dirt tracked road for miles on end, the only natural source of water and ravenous birds cawed as they circled the air in hope of finding a meal, be it a poor straggler who was stupid enough to trek the desert or a monster who roamed the area in search of prey themselves.

The only structure for miles of the desert was the Desert District prison, so called because of the area in which it had been constructed. When the late President had first been elected into office, his first order of business was to construct a prison specifically for the purpose of holding political decedents who threatened his reign. The majority of the people had come from the Timber region, recently assimilated into the ranks of the Galbadian nation, and he meant to teach them that to mess with Deling would prove unhealthy. Almost two decades later, the population of the prison thrived as did the number of guards standing post in the area.

Irvine Kinneas had heard horror stories about the place but he took them all with a grain of salt as the sources, mostly Garden students like himself, couldn't possibly have had first-hand experience. Anyone who was locked within the walls of the prison had never emerged alive. The prison was impenetrable, inescapable. Anyone sent there was pretty much assured that they would never see freedom again.

As he had driven to the front gates, he had reflected on the situation he'd been placed in and considered himself lucky to have escaped. Skill had had nothing to do with eluding the Galbadian soldiers at the gateway and he knew that one slip up would have had him in the prison along with the others.

Fortunately, the soldiers hadn't caught sight of him, not even once. He'd managed to slip past them and into the sewers below the maintenance room without them being the wiser. Of course, it helped that they were easily distracted by the distraught Rinoa and not to mention that they'd just dragged Zell from inside and were making sure he was unconscious. Again, it was sheer dumb luck that he hadn't gotten caught. Irvine wasn't fool enough to believe he'd outclassed them, even by a small margin.

Patiently he had waited, biding his time and ensuring that the soldiers were completely immersed in what they were doing before having made his move. When it was time to do so, he had slinked into the maintenance room, passed the unsuspecting Galbadians and proceeded down the ladder into the sewers.

That was time he wished he could get back. He had known the tunnel from the gateway would lead somewhere around the General's mansion but having never traversed the underground before, it wasn't long before he found himself soundly lost, wandering around in circles. He supposed that was probably the reason the Galbadians hadn't found him soon after his escape. He'd always believed that chaos outdid logic, simply because chaos was so damned unpredictable it was near impossible to plan against. Counting his lucky stairs for the umpteenth time that evening, he'd eventually managed to find his way back to the mansion and, surprisingly enough, back in the room where the mission briefing had been held. At the sight of Angelo wagging her tail from her post on the floor, the sharpshooter could've cried in relief. Seconds later, the General himself came running on in and had fixed him with a look that demanded explanation.

And so he'd found himself explaining to the General exactly why his plan was a total utter fuckup.

The elder man had been more than displeased to hear that the mission was a complete failure and even less pleased to discover that his daughter had been a participant, despite whatever precautions he'd set in place to prevent her from joining in. Personally, Irvine thought they both had issues and wasn't about to stick his nose into something that was clearly none of his business, but he'd noticed something about the General that made him think he was genuinely worried about Rinoa's wellbeing. He didn't profess to know exactly what had caused their falling out, but just by watching the man pace back and forth like a harried parent rather than a panicked political figure made him believe that her father really stilled cared about her. Even if they didn't see eye to eye at the best of times.

Then, soon after his return to the mansion, the General had received word from the Sorceress who, somehow, had figured out his hand in this. Not being stupid, Caraway had denied any involvement in her attempted assassination, only to have his ass handed to him when she admitted she knew his daughter had been arrested amongst the culprits.

The whole conversation spiralled out of control from that point on, though Irvine (who had been standing watch from behind the monitor the call had come from, if only to prevent himself from being seen) had a feeling the Sorceress had been goading him from the start. The Sorceress went so far as to threaten the information out of him, and she had the perfect leverage over the man to ensure he paid the price without so much as lifting a finger against him.

_"Imagine what the other prisoners would do," _she had said in a deathly calm and calculating tone of voice, _"were they to discover that your daughter was in the building along with them._"

Just the memory of the Sorceress' veiled threat and the insinuations behind it was enough to make his skin crawl in revulsion. But he'd focused on the task at hand, handed the necessary documentation to the proper authorities in order to pick up his package and had driven away despite Rinoa's attempts to fight him tooth and nail and prevent such an action.

So to say that Irvine Kinneas was suffering the worst week ever would've summed it up nicely.

Forcing himself not to think of the criteria that had been met in order to secure the girl's release, he turned his attention to driving them both back to Deling City where he fully intended to deposit the girl to her loving-yet-controlling father before he attended to some business of his own. And all he had to look forward to for the next six hour drive was to fend off the furious girl as she attempted to claw her way out of the car while spewing language that probably wouldn't make a sailor blush but would most definitely turn heads in her direction.

Whoopdie-doo.

"You stupid stinking, scum sucking, leash-wearing _coward_!" Rinoa snapped loudly before drawing in breath to continue the assault. Irvine's ears were ringing from the various pitches that her voice had reached during the ride and he wasn't looking forward to another round.

"I said I'm _sorry_ already!" Irvine cut her off before she could start screaming her fool head off at him again.

"If you were _really_ sorry, then you'd turn this hunk of junk around and go _back_ to the prison!" Rinoa shrieked, and started kicking at the metal doors.

"I already told ya why I can't!" Irvine protested. "It's your father's order. I _hafta_ bring ya back ta the city."

"Like _hell_ you do!" Rinoa continued her useless kicking and Irvine thanked his lucky stars that she wasn't junctioned like the others. "You _always_ have a choice, but you're _choosing_ to follow that man's orders like some mindless drone, just like the rest of his stupid staff and his god-damned army! Ugh! That's it!"

Without warning, Rinoa propelled herself across the space between her seat and Irvine's and leaned over the sharpshooter's lap. Normally, this would have led to a lecherous joke concerning her position, but instead he swallowed the comment when the dread rose up as he saw her grip the steering wheel in front of him tightly. "What'd ya thank yer doin'?"

"Pull this thing over, _now_! I'll get out and walk!"

"Stop it!" Irvine shouted as she turned the wheel. He tightened his own grip and pulled back, trying to regain some control over the vehicle. "You're gonna get us killed!"

Without warning, Rinoa lashed out with her left hand and Irvine let out a surprised yelp as she actually scratched him across the face. He was forced to bring his right arm up in defence as she lashed out again, relinquishing control of the steering wheel. Normally, he wouldn't have been bothered by it, but the attack had been most unexpected and it had hurt, dammit. "Knock it off already!"

"I don't know about you, but _I'm_ not going back to Deling while the others are waiting to be executed!" Rinoa snapped and she tried to reach out for the wheel again. Irvine grabbed her arm to stop her and it resulted in her scratching at him with her right hand. He hissed in pain but refused to let go. "If you were a man, you'd realize that!"

"I'm not about ta get inta a debate about whether or not I'm a man," Irvine snapped back before cursing. "Ah, ta hell with this..." He finally managed to bat her arms out of the way as he pulled the car over. The vehicle rolled to a stop as it crunched over the dirt trail, but before Rinoa could open the door, Irvine flipped a switch on the dashboard, and an audible clicking noise filled the air. When the raven haired girl tried to free herself from the car, she found that the door was soundly locked.

Brown eyes narrowed as she glowered in Irvine's direction, hands still clutching the handle to the door. She looked all the more like a caged animal and if she had fur, it would have bristled. For his part, Irvine simply leaned over the gap, removing his arm from its propped position against the seat and brought it in front of his stomach, still leaning against the steering wheel. He fixed her with what he thought to be a plain and patient look. "Go ahead. Throw yer damn temper-tantrum. No one's 'round ta listen ta ya yell and scream, sept me o' course. Shatter a drum fer all I care, just let it all out. In't that what ya want?"

Rinoa huffed and growled at the same time, proving to the sharpshooter that the action was possible. It made her struggle with the door handle more as she hissed her answer back at him. "What I _want _is to go _back_ to the prison to help the others!"

She mad e a frustrated noise before giving up the attempt altogether and sinking back against her seat with her arms folded across her chest. She threw another disgusted look in his direction, her lip curling and emphasising her feelings at the moment. "This is kidnapping."

"Nah, this is followin' your father's orders," Irvine commented calmly with a one shoulder shrug. Rinoa opened her mouth to retort, but he waved her argument away. "I don't care if ya don't see eye-ta-eye with each other. I'm doin' this 'cuz this mission never shoulda involved ya in tha first place. Evrabudy knew it, but yer way too stubborn fer yer own good."

"It's none of his business whether I involve myself or not!" Rinoa snapped back. Irvine felt his patients melting away and struggled hard to hold onto it, only for whatever grasp he had attained to slip with every word she spoke. "I'm seventeen, not seven. I don't need _him_ telling me what to do! And it's not _my_ safety he really gives a shit about anyway! He's just scared that I'll blow his cover and make this whole situation worse for him. His job is everything and he thinks I'll get him discharged from the military!"

"He's already _been_ discharged!" Irvine finally snapped in his frustration. He found no satisfaction in the fact that her eyes widened and the colour had drained from her features. He threw his arms up in disgust and found himself leaning against his own seat, though he did not cross his arms. "Dammit, Rinoa, why the hell d'ya reckon I'm even here in tha first place? I got away! Tha smart thang woulda been ta turn tail and head on back ta mah Garden. But bein' tha grade-A moron I am, I went back ta report back ta yer old man and told him where evrathang went wrong, from tha timin', ta tha execution, ta yer running off inta danger like a spoiled brat with somethang ta prove.

"But I was there, Rinoa," he said through a sigh as he covered his eyes with his left hand. "I was _there _when tha Sorceress confronted him. He denied and denied till he was blue in tha face, but when she brought _you _up, the façade was gone and tha next thang I knew he was pleadin' fer yer life. _Yer _life, not _his._"

Rinoa blinked in shock and was about to say something but Irvine cut her off once again. "No one told her that he was involved. She figured it out all on her own, don't ask me how. He damn near _begged_ tha bitch ta let ya go, but she refused until he gave her information about the assassination and signed a confession. He lost his position in exchange for _your_ freedom."

"Why didn't he ask for everyone else to walk away too?" Rinoa asked after a moment had passed between them. There was still some bitter resentment in her tone, but the sharpshooter was relieved that she'd calmed down some. It sounded like she was grasping at straws, reasons to hate the man even more, to blame this whole thing on him. Not that Irvine _didn't_ blame him, but really the General had suffered enough. "And why did it take so long? Why was I the only one he asked to be released?"

Still, Irvine laughed a mirthless laugh at the naivety of the question. He couldn't believe that it was all falling back on her feud with her father when it was so much bigger than that. "Rinoa, d'ya honestly believe tha Sorceress woulda _agreed_ ta let _everyone_ go? Caraway's not stupid. He _knew_ he wouldn't get away with that kinda request, so he settled on saving tha one person that he cared about. Like it or not, that person's you. As for waitin', the Sorceress told him ta wait a week before sending someone ta pick ya up. She wanted to confirm the facts before she sprung ya loose."

Rinoa sat silent for a moment. At first, Irvine thought she was going to continue with the questions, try to hammer everything out of him before she could see reason. Honestly, he wouldn't mind if it meant they could get to the capital, just so long as she didn't dig too deeply. Caraway had given up much more than his job, or at least as far as he was concerned, and he didn't want to have to travel that road, especially not with the hysterical girl beside him. He knew it would only make matters worse.

The silence was felt forced and hollow, but to him it felt a lot better than fighting with the thick-skulled raven-haired girl. But just when he thought it was safe enough to start the engine, Rinoa's voice broke through that silence, filled with a firm determination that leant strength to her words. "We have to go back."

Irvine groaned out loud and dropped his head, his forehead hitting the steering wheel in his exasperation. The girl was nothing but a broken record, saying the same thing over and over again until the other party just gave up and followed her lead. He gathered that she was used to others just caving in and honestly he didn't have much energy left to fight her.

Catching his reaction, Rinoa snorted in disgust but pressed on stubbornly. "They're _still_ in danger, and they'll continue to be in danger until we get them out of that prison! Even if they're SeeDs, they're not immortal."

"They're professionals," Irvine waved off in exasperation. He didn't even bother to raise his head. "They'll be fine."

"But you can't say that for sure! You're _not_ there," Rinoa snapped back, and Irvine couldn't help but notice the biting accusation that she seemed to be repressing. Still, he knew that she felt he should have been there with them instead of running off with his tail between his legs.

The guilt came back and almost overwhelmed him but he pushed it back down in favour of listening to what Rinoa was saying instead of what she wasn't. "If you're right and Squall's still alive, you know what'll happen. The others are more sensible but he'll be all like 'we haven't been ordered to leave' or some such crap like that. He'll stick around until someone gives him an order, and _this_ time he'll get killed for sure. Someone needs to save them, and even if I have to go back on foot by myself, I'm going."

One look on the raven haired girl's face told him that there was no changing her mind and Irvine sighed again. "You're real serious 'bout this?"

Rinoa nodded, his lips formed a thin determined line and her eyes flashed her determination, almost daring him to try and stop her. Just taking one look at her he knew that arguing with her would accomplish nothing. Somehow, he'd already come to that conclusion and yet he'd tried to reason with her anyway.

Chuckling darkly as he raised his head, he laughed again, though there was no mirth in it. "You are one stubborn gal, ya know that?"

"I've been called worse," Rinoa said pointedly.

"And man do I believe," Irvine said before he sighed heavily, throwing his hands into the air. "Alright, alright. Ya forced mah hand."

"So we're going back?" Rinoa's expression lit up with the prospect of having won the argument. He nodded as he started the engine and she pumped her fists into the air, her grin spreading her features and making her look lighter as she rested her hand against her raised hands. "There's hope for you yet, Irvine Kinneas."

Adopting a wounded expression, Irvine raised his head and gripped the steering wheel. "Ya actually reckoned that I'da left them there ta rot? What'ya expect me ta do after haulin' your difficult ass home? Go back ta tha Garden and forget this sordid mess ever happened?"

At the look of the bewilderment that crossed her features, he allowed himself to laugh darkly as he put the car in reverse and turned right around. "Nah, I ain't heartless, Rinoa. I was plannin' on goin' back and springin' 'em all anyhow. But I s'pose I _could_ use an extra set o' hands ta help me out."

* * *

"OW!"

Selphie cringed as Zell doubled over in pain, cradling his stomach protectively. Her spell hadn't had the desired effect and it brought her hopes crashing back down.

Rising from her crouching position, she frowned thoughtful, knowing full well that their belongings had been confiscated when they'd been locked up. She'd just tried a simple cure spell and it did absolutely nothing to alleviate the injuries Zell had sustained. There wasn't anything seriously wrong with him. He'd recovered from the crotch shot quicker than had been expected, but the hits to his stomach and the back of his head were another story. The brawler had finally relented to her using a cure spell, but it didn't do a damned thing.

"It's no use," Quistis said, like she'd done when the younger SeeD had suggested it initially. "If we can't form a rapport with our junctions, then there must be an anti magic field active somewhere. If we can't summon GF's, then it's obvious that we can't utilize magic spells either."

Selphie scowled. It hadn't hurt to try though. "So how're we gonna get out with Zell like this?" She gestured towards the brawler.

Quistis was about to answer when the door suddenly opened behind them. The noise jarred them enough for everyone to rise to their feet (Zell albeit slowly) in order to regard their visitor, but it turned out that it wasn't even human. It was short (which was something to say since Selphie stood a little over five feet), and was barely tall enough to reach her chest. It had wild orange fur that covered its entire body with the exception of its stomach, the tips of its paws and its groin area, which was white fur. It had beady little black eyes that looked positively adorable, and a long slender orange tail that ended with a red flame like fur tail. The fur at the top of its head flared out into a flame as well, and the orange colour deepened into a bright red. It it's overly huge front paws it held a silver dish that contained what Selphie assumed was their meal. All in all, the creature reminded Selphie of a baby lion that was capable of walking on two feet.

Selphie narrowed her eyes, like she always did when the cute little creatures would come in and deliver their food when the guards wanted a little entertainment. The first day they'd been there, she'd seen the guards hovering out in the hall, waiting for the food to be put in front of them just so they wouldn't have to do it themselves. It was sick and disgusting; the little critter looked almost defenceless and the big scary guards with their batons and side arms sat back just in case the prisoners were dangerous.

The little thing was shaking – Selphie wouldn't have been surprised to learn that it had been attacked by the other prisoners regularly – and it suddenly tripped over its big pawed feet. The tray and their food fell to the floor, creating a mess that both she and Quistis backed away from to avoid getting any of the food (if it could be called food) onto their clothes while Zell lifted his feet out of range. The poor thing fell flat onto its face, and the tray clattered loudly onto the floor beside it.

Quistis and Selphie exchanged glances and Zell shook his head dismayed, while one of the supervising guards cursed loudly. He stalked into the room (Selphie recognized him as the mean guy who'd beat up Zell) and he kicked the baby-lion creature as it tried to stand back up. He stepped on top of the creature and it made a high pitched squeaking noise when he applied pressure to its back. "Stupid piece of shit. You're useless, do you know that!"

"Stop that, ya big meanie!" Selphie shouted, stomping her foot onto the ground. Quistis rose to her feet and folded her arms across her chest, apparently thinking the same as the diminutive SeeD. "What's he ever done to you?"

"What's the matter?" Zell asked as he pulled himself onto his feet. "You can't grow a pair, so you compensate by picking on people and creatures who can't defend themselves?"

"You little shit!" The guard exclaimed as he raised his baton over his head. Zell was surprisingly quick given his earlier injuries and he grabbed the guy's wrist before he could get hit off the head again. The guard tried to wrench his arm free, but Zell simply tightened his grip until the guard winced visibly.

"You know," Quistis said as Selphie crouched down to check on the poor creature. From the looks of it, the former instructor looked downright pissed off. "You can judge a man by how he treats his inferiors. From what I've seen, you don't amount to very much."

Zell suddenly reared his arm back before pushing the guard away, forcing him to get off the creature and into the far wall near the door. His comrades ran in after him, and started helping him to his feet. The brawler stepped forward, as did Quistis while Selphie pulled the little guy into a sitting position. "You don't know who you're dealing with," the guard spat out.

"Oh really?" Zell said as he cracked his knuckles. Quistis' fists were clenched tightly at her sides, just in case she needed to act. "You wanna try _informing_ us?"

"The way I see it, you're nothing but cowards who seem to feel that you can push others around," Quistis put in. "So try pushing us around. We'll push right back."

For a second, Selphie thought that a fight was going to break out and watched both sides in apprehension, but when the moment passed, the guards visibly relaxed, though the mean guy sucked his teeth. "You'll regret those words," the guard hissed as he and his cronies started to leave the cell. "Mark my words. Have fun peeling your meal off the floor."

Once the guards were in the hall, they slammed the door shut, locking it up tightly. Selphie sighed; they'd missed their chance to escape and she could tell that the others thought the exact same thing.

"Fucking assholes..." Zell said, shaking in his anger. "What if we'd really been serious criminals and hadn't cared about this guy?" He gestured towards the little creature, who looked somewhat confused. "And they just locked him in here with us!"

"It's better than hanging around those guys," Selphie said before directing her attention towards the little fella. "Those meanies won't hurt you anymore. Not while I'm here." She grinned enthusiastically and ruffled the fur on the creatures head affectionately.

"Back to what we were talking about before we were so rudely interrupted," Quistis said, taking a forlorn look at what was supposed to be their meal, "does anyone have any ideas of escape?"

Selphie and Zell just shook their heads and the former instructor sighed loudly. "Well, whatever we plan we may come up with, it'll be useless if we don't have a method of implementing it. We can't use magic or summon GF's to our assistance, we can only go so far without weapons. We need to concentrate on getting them back somehow."

"No kidding," Selphie nodded in agreement as Zell suddenly sat up straighter. "They _really_ wouldn't like me if I had my nunchaku. I'd make them pay for hurting this little guy."

"Let me go get them!" Zell said as he jumped up onto his feet. Both girls exchanged glances between each other. "No, seriously! Let me go! I don't need weapons. I'm a martial artist. My _fists_ are weapons. I could do some serious damage, even _without_ the junctions."

"Well, you would be our best bet..." Quistis said, sounding unsure.

"I say let him!" Selphie said as she threw a fist into the air. "Since he was Ward in the dream world, and Ward worked here, then he's gotta know this place like the back of his hand!"

"Just leave it to me!" Zell said, and Selphie couldn't help but get the feeling that he was ignoring her dream world comment. "But first thing's first. How do we get out of here?"

There was a squeak that sounded like a plushy being squeezed and Selphie looked down to the creature she was supporting. It looked like it was trying to squirm out of her grasp, and when she removed her grip, the creature stepped forward, indicating something on its chest. Selphie took a closer look and realized – to her delight – that it was a key card that was attached to some kind of collar.

The three SeeDs exchanged baffled glances between one another. Finally it looked as though things were looking up.

* * *

"Well now, Squall," Seifer sneered as he looked up at his rival, "I'll ask you again."

Seifer could've laughed at how pathetic the other gunblader looked now. He'd passed out only after the second time he'd been electrocuted, the fucking lightweight. He'd expected him to last much longer than that, partly the reason he'd been looking forward to this session. Ironically enough, it had taken another zap from the machine to wake him up and snap him out of it.

But for the last hour, nothing eventful had taken place. Squall had refused to even speak, let alone answer his questions. This did not surprise him, because Seifer had known from when they were younger how stubborn the brunet was, even when they were fighting. Regardless, Squall's silent treatment wasn't going to stop him from doing his job, not in the least. Edea wanted to know what SeeD was about and even if he had to fry his fucking brains out, he was going to get her an answer.

Since having woken him up and since having to endure the game of trying to get Squall to speak, he had activated the machine and electrocuted the SeeD a total of four times. Despite how tight lipped he was, Seifer could tell that he was wearing down and it would only be a matter of time before he cracked. Squall seemed to known this too, and the more time passed, the more desperate he appeared to keep his silence. The only sound he made was the heavy breathing from his exertion but Seifer refused to give him the rest he needed to recharge. With each minute that passed, the heavier his breathing became and Seifer knew that with a little patience he could obtain the information he so desired.

Still, he couldn't help but admire his resolve. It was very admirable that he was as loyal to the Garden and to SeeD as he was, despite knowing that he had probably already been disavowed by his home just for failing in his mission and allowing himself to be captured by the enemy. It was admirable, but stupid and Seifer was sure to drill into him just how stupid and misplaced his loyalty was. "What is SeeD? And why do they oppose the Sorceress?"

Just like the previous times he'd asked, Squall's expression shifted into confusion. However, unlike the last few times, it took a while before he could mask it with a look of indifference, but even then it was shaky at best. Scowling to himself, Seifer entertained the possibility that maybe Squall really _didn't _know what he was talking about. The contemplation lasted for about a minute before he shook himself of it. Seifer knew that he was a genius, and while Squall wasn't nearly as smart, he was just as clever and resourceful as the former cadet. Squall would know how to work a situation to his advantage, even with his back pressed up against the wall. Even now Seifer could see the number of plans and strategies honed into him from his tenure at the Garden through his eyes, turning gears in his head as he tried to push past the pain and simply _think_. Seifer had also learned that if the younger boy didn't want anyone to know something, there was no way they would find out.

_Oh I'll find out,_ Seifer silently promised him. _And when I do, Edea will tear SeeD apart like some child's toy._

He was about to say something else when his own junction, Belias, whispered that someone else had entered the room. He chuckled lightly, grateful to be the recipient of working with the Sorceress. Because of his status as the Sorceress' knight, as well as her claim to Galbadia as a whole, he had been issued a utility belt for use within the prison that prevented the anti-magi field that ran nonstop from affecting him. While he had it on, he remained linked with his Guardian force and the augmentation he received from Belias to his speed, strength and endurance were still with him.

Checking his expression, however, he threw a bored look over his shoulder, indicating that the guard who was interrupting was barely tolerated. "What is it?"

"Sir Seifer," the guard saluted and, impatiently, Seifer nodded his head for the guard to make his report. "The Missile Base is almost finished with their preparations. They are awaiting your orders."

"Excellent," Seifer said, nodding thoughtfully before turning to regard the prisoner. Squall was trying with increasing difficulty to mask his curiosity. He pondered telling the younger SeeD before deciding that he could do with the news. "No doubt you overheard what the guard informed me and are wondering what he meant. I'll save you the trouble of trying to figure it out. Balamb Garden is to be destroyed," his expression darkened as he spoke the words, "on charges of training SeeDs to oppose the Sorceress' will."

The news had the effect he'd been hoping for. If Squall had known the consequences he would be facing for failing to kill Edea, then he had been oblivious of what would become of the Garden. In his weakened state, the SeeD was like a book – he could read what he was thinking easily, though it helped that he knew what to look for. Little nuances that most people would brush aside as circumstantial were like a blaring spot on a white canvas to him. The youth barely had the strength left in him to pull at his bindings, the only physical sign of resistance he'd given off in the last hour.

"It's a shame though," Seifer continued, knowing that he'd struck a nerve. His words prodded and poked at the proverbial would, relishing in the anguish he was causing. "I'm not completely heartless, you know. I grew up in the Garden after all. It's all I've ever really known. A massive amount of memories, both fond and ill, still poke around in my head and when the Sorceress first declared her intentions, I almost protested right there."

Then he shrugged almost indifferently before fixing his cold stare back at his prisoner, who watched on in seeming disbelief as he spoke. "But orders are orders. If Edea demands it, then the Garden _will_ be destroyed."

"No..." Squall managed to get out and Seifer snorted. The younger boy looked pitiful in his grief.

"Oh, don't look so upset, Squall. I know it's hard for someone as cynical as you, but please try to think positive for once. After all, it's not like _every single _member of SeeD's gonna die when the missiles hit. There are bound to be some stragglers combing the rubble in search of other survivors."

And just at that moment he pictured that cunt Xu, leg and arms all messed up from injuries she'd sustained when the Garden was hit, attempting to feebly push aside the rubble as she searched for other survivors. _She _looked damn near pitiful in his sight, and he couldn't wait for it to become a reality. If she died, she died, but he was really looking forward to rubbing it in her face that he'd become something more than some scum sucking obedient little SeeD, playing war without truly understanding their cause.

"But don't worry," he said, his features breaking into a grin he couldn't quite contain. "They won't get to feel left out for too long. Because once the Gardens are gone and there's no place for them to hide, the manhunt will commence." He tilted his head to the sight, recalling something from their previous encounter and snorted derisively. "You compared my relationship with the Sorceress as one of a dog and it's owner, right?"

Squall didn't answer, he didn't have to. He knew it was true and Seifer could see it so clearly in his eyes. Without stopping to allow an answer even if it had been forthcoming, Seifer proceeded. "Then I know what breed I'd be. A bloodhound. _Edea's _bloodhound. You know how tenacious those dogs are, right? They search and search, never resting, never surrendering, until they find their prey. Together, the Sorceress and I will hunt down each and every one single one of your kind who remains and draws breath and snuff it out until SeeD is officially extinct."

Squall was still breathing heavily, but it was for a completely different reason. His jaw was slacked open in his shock, eyes widened, face far pallor than normal (though that could've just been the fatigue talking, but Seifer liked to imagine it was due to the import of his words). He had told the SeeD simply because he'd wanted to land another crucial blow to the already exhausted young man, and it seemed as though he had succeeded. All hope was lost, Squall knew that now. Even more important was that it was all his fault for not having succeeded in his mission. He could blame himself until death took pity on him and snatched him up from this life. He almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

As much as he would've loved to stick around and watch as the guilt tore him apart, he had other matters to attend to. The mission base was finally ready, so there was very little point in him sticking around. He had learned nothing, but it wouldn't matter much once SeeD was destroyed. For now, he would re-join the Sorceress and, by her side, they would take control of Galbadia Garden and utilize it as their base. Soon, the Sorceress would be invincible, _untouchable_, and there wasn't a damned thing anyone – least of all Squall – could do about it.

_ Don't die on me, yet Squall,_ he thought as his grin broadened and he turned to leave. _It'll be fun._

"Continue with the interrogation," Seifer ordered the guard at the far end of the room, and after receiving an acknowledging nod, he left the man to do his job.


	5. Chapter III: Turning Tide

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter III:  
Turning Tide**

* * *

_"Balamb Garden is to be destroyed on charges of training SeeDs to oppose the Sorceress' will."_

He couldn't believe his ears the first time he'd heard the words, thinking that it was the haze of exhaustion that was making him delirious or just some cruel joke to get him to talk. While never having had the physical experience of an interrogation, he'd recalled from the lessons at the Garden how interrogators would use anything to get what they wanted and the various tricks and nods to avoid falling into their traps. While the techniques escaped him in his current state, he couldn't help but cling to the knowledge, to hope that this was Seifer just messing with him to get what he needed out of him (whatever the hell that was).

But one look at the former cadet was enough to lend strength to that statement and his stomach had settled at his toes at the implications. She knew they were from Garden. She had to have known, she'd worked for Deling and even if she hadn't been present for the slip in Timber, if the broadcast was still live at that point she would have figured it out then.

Desperation had clawed at him then, willing him to do something, _anything _to stop it, but the only thing he could do was twist and pull at his bindings, an action that had caused Seifer's smirk to widen, getting pleasure out of watching him squirm. It occurred to him moments later that this was exactly what Seifer had wanted, but he couldn't force the distain through the grief, not now, not when he was like this, forcing his mind to remain and not to wonder as Seifer lamented the decision before shrugging almost dismissively. The Garden was Seifer's home too, dammit. Any other time he would have been a raging mess and anger and grief, but snared by the Sorceress he had become uncaring of his past life.

"No," he'd gasped, the first sound he'd made in Hyne only knew how long. Seifer had laughed then, no doubt showering in his success at getting him to talk, though not of matters he had previously asked.

His thoughts solely grounded with the startling news he had received, he barely registered Seifer leaving the room and the guard stepped away from the console that controlled the device he was strapped to. He had believed that he would be the only one to take the blame of the failed attempt. That had been the plan anyway, he would be the final obstacle to the Sorceress' freedom while the others retreated and regrouped.

But not only had they _not _escaped, but his failure had placed them in danger as well. He could only hope that Irvine and Rinoa, who had not been mentioned at all by the former cadet, managed to get out safely. He refused to even entertain the other possibility and shoved the fleeting thought to the back of his mind. He wondered if Quistis and the others even knew what was to happen with the Garden, and if so what would they do? Would they confide whatever the enemy wanted to hear just for a chance to save it? Seifer hadn't offered that. Squall was more than willing to bet the option wasn't even negotiable.

Garden would burn, and he was to blame.

He felt sick and helpless at the thought that he had doomed them all to destruction. He couldn't help but wonder if this had been how Zell had felt after uncovering their identities back in Timber but pushed the thought away forcefully. He continued to struggle against his bonds, knowing that it was futile but wanting to try all the same. Escape was the only means of which he knew to save the Gardens but even then the odds were stacked against him. First he would have to escape this prison – wherever it was – and even then he wouldn't be able to reach the Gardens in time to warn them. Unless he got his hand on a radio that could transmit over continents there was no hope of contacting them before the inevitable happened, and the lack of radio waves made that alternative impossible anyway. Furthermore, even if he wanted to escape, his best chance would have been earlier on when he had his strength. Having been electrocuted so many times he was sure the guards and soldiers in the vicinity would overpower him easily. Without Junctions, it was inevitable.

He tried to force his scattered thoughts back together in order to come up with a conductive plan, but nothing would stick. But one thing was for sure. This plan was far to organized and thought out to be considered an operation driven by retaliation. But then did this mean the Sorceress had meant to attack them all along? Could she believe that the Gardens pose a threat to her plans, that SeeD would retaliate should she attempt to take control of the largest of the three Gardens?

"Ready to talk yet?"

The voice startled him from his thoughts and drew his attention back to the situation at hand. His thoughts had brought him far away from this place and taking in the surroundings caused a small bit of despair to form in the pit of his stomach, to mingle with the desperation of knowing he was trapped. He managed to curl his fingers to form a fist with both hands, only to release the action moments later.

The guard was standing right across from him, his arms folded across his chest and his feet squared. If someone were to push him, they would have to be very strong because he would not move unless a sure amount of weight was pressed against him. The fact that the man had stepped away from the console was very little comfort and Squall knew that he would be prepared to flip the switch at any moment, like he'd been doing for the last little while. His gaze was fixed solely on the SeeD opposite him and the coiling pit of unease seemed to slosh about his stomach, making him feel queasy.

So absorbed in his thoughts and worries, Squall had completely forgotten about the Garden's presence until he'd spoken. The solid stare continued and Squall found himself shifting under the gaze, feeling more than just a little uncomfortable before forcing himself to stop. He would not give them the satisfaction of getting to him. Collecting his resolve and his pride, Squall lifted his chin in defiance, waiting for what the man had to say.

But when it became apparent that the guard would say nothing, the SeeD realized that he was expecting an answer. Attempting to slow his heavy breathing, Squall forced his thoughts back, to before Seifer left, to before receiving the horrible news regarding the Gardens. He tried to lift the fog from his mind, attempting to recall the previous question he had received, recalling how the former cadet had mentioned SeeD training and opposing the Sorceress. Then he remembered, Seifer had asked him _why_

_And how the hell would I know?_ His thoughts came in an irritable jumble. _I've been a SeeD barely a month!_

He couldn't have known that SeeD was supposed to oppose the Sorceress even if that was what they were trained to do. As far as he knew, SeeDs were specialists, mercenaries for hire. He doubted they would even become involved with a Sorceress unless the client was paying them to do so. But he didn't say this. He knew the guard wouldn't believe him and would simply flip the switch as a means of getting him to give him an answer he could use.

His body tensed in apprehension, knowing that the shocks were taking its toll. It was getting harder and harder to recover, and easier and easier to slip beneath the surface of consciousness. Shaking his head in an effort to clear it, he swallowed lightly before answering, his words coming out slow between pants he could not control. "I don't understand the question."

"Bullshit," the guard snarled impatiently and Squall almost crumpled at the sight, knowing what was to come. "Don't give me that. The Sorceress says you know something, and we're gonna stay here all day and all night until you spit it out. Save yourself the trouble and it'll make things go a lot faster."

When Squall didn't respond, the guard growled darkly and Squall braced himself for the onslaught of pain that would ensue. "Wanna be a wise guy, eh? Maybe you'll feel like talking after this."

And just as the SeeD had predicted, the man moved towards the console and pulled down on the lever. Seconds later, Squall's body spasmed as the current ran through him once more, his preparedness for the attack doing nothing to alleviate the pain. Gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes against the pain, he just wanted it to end, to stop, for the pain to go away and leave him be. He knew he wouldn't be able to take much more of this. It was becoming an increasingly difficult struggle to recover after each shock tore through him, more and more powerful for longer durations. He couldn't even begin to fathom how he was still alive.

Slumping forward as the guard stopped the machine, Squall gasped in deep breaths of air into his deprived lungs, coughing slightly through a throat that was raw. He tried to still his shaking and shuddering form but discovered that his reserves were just about done. One more shock, maybe two, and he was done.

The guard was talking but Squall couldn't make out the words from the ringing in his ears but he knew what the question was, what the question would always be. He couldn't understand why the man kept asking him the same thing over and over when it was obvious he didn't know the answer they were after. Suddenly, he no longer cared what happened to him, just that it would _stop_. For the first time since waking up in a cell, Squall wished that the Sorceress had just killed him in the gateway, saved them all the trouble. At least then he wouldn't be able to feel the pain.

Believing full well that the only reason he had not yet been discarded was due to Seifer, who appeared to revel in his suffering and thus wanted to prolong it however possible. His eyes narrowed, his body steeled, Squall made up his mind right there. He refused to live on Seifer's terms.

Allowing himself to fall limp against his bindings, he allowed his breaths to come out in uneven heavy spurts. He spoke through the intakes of breath, the words barely audible even to his own ears but he knew it was enough to draw the attention of the guard. Although he couldn't see him, Squall could sense the man moving away from the console and stepping closer in order to properly here what he was saying. "SeeDs…" he gasped as he tried to keep his lungs full, afraid that if he talked normally that he would asphyxiate. "Too… Many…"

"What was that?" The guard asked gruffly, though as out of it as Squall was he could note the hint of excitement in the tone. He didn't doubt the prospect of discovering SeeD's big secret would reap rewards that most people couldn't even begin to fathom. No doubt the guard was entertaining fantasies of the results should he be the one to discover them.

Too bad Squall was setting him up for complete and utter disappointment. It took a lot of effort, but he forced himself to raise his head, eyeing the man while careful not to betray his true intentions. Spoken through gasps of breaths, Squall managed to force out his message. "You ate too many garlic seeds. I can smell your breath from over here..."

The youth broke off coughing, but he didn't fail to note the shock and surprise that had taken over the guard. But then his features twisted and contorted into the ugly visage of rage as the fury took him. "You fucking asked for it now, you little punk!"

Almost tripping over his feet in his urgency to reach the machine, the guard yanked down the lever as far as it would go without a second's hesitation. The current burned a white hot trail through Squall's body, causing him the spasm painfully. Not having bothered to prepare himself, a scream tore through him that was blotted out by the current in his ears, violent dots and spots of a variety of colour taking hold of his vision beneath closed eyelids. It wasn't a good sign.

But it was _exactly _what Squall wanted.

If the guard said anything else, it too was blocked out by the sound of the current, which seemed to steadily grow in volume as the rising temperature at his back indicated that the wall was reacting to the additional energy. Feeling like every nerve was being fried simultaneously, he managed to form one last thought before finally succumbing to the darkness that mercifully blanketed him. One he hoped he would never awaken from.

_Good night…_

* * *

Marshal Davies frowned lightly as he returned to the security room on the upper level of the prison. Having just finished with a much needed and well deserved smoke break, he was caught off guard when he noticed the lights from above dimming slightly before returning to their normal radiance. In the ten years that he'd worked at the prison, very rarely did the light flicker. The sight caused a feel of unease to pool in his gut.

Setting his recently filled coffee cup gently atop the console, he searched for the cause through the monitors that served as eyes for the prison for the cause. He knew the generators that powered the prisoned utilized strong voltage to get the level of electricity they needed (which was why they could afford to leave the lights on in the prison cells 24/7. It was a subtle tactic to disorient the prisoner, forcing them to lose track of time and it helped to mount their paranoia). He knew how powerful they were and they only dimmed when something else that was equally powerful was in use at maximum capacity, or near enough to it.

He'd been around these gizmos long enough to know these things and it took him barely a minute to run down the list of equipment that could drain the power that steadily before he turned his attention to the surveillance on level E.

The moment the prison had been notified of the change in the government, the Sorceress' right hand man had dropped by with more prisoners. They were being charged with the Sorceress' attempted assassination in Deling City (he'd heard about that, but hadn't expected a bunch of kids to be responsible). While four of them had been placed in lock-up almost immediately, one had been sent to medical for the injuries he'd sustained. Marshall still remembered hearing what the doctor had said when they'd finally managed to stabilize him. _'Just one more inch to the left and they would have brought in a cadaver instead.'_

According to that Almasy guy, the Sorceress had done it on purpose to keep him alive.

They'd been under strict instructions to make sure the twerp who got hurt didn't buy the farm since then. Apparently he had some information that the Sorceress wanted and was assumed to be the one in charge of the attack. So without sparing any expense from the Galbadian tax payers, the doctors had set to work, though it was becoming more and more apparent that she had started to heal him before having in transported to the prison. The jacket had been easy to remove but the doctors had been forced to tear open the shirt in order to conduct their surgery and while they bore scars from whatever the hell had hit the brat, the damage to the body itself hadn't appeared near as bad as it had been made out to be. By the time they were finished stitching him up, not even a scar was left to remind them all of what had happened.

Last he had heard, the prisoner had been brought up to Level E so that Almasy could interrogate them. The self-proclaimed Sorceress' Knight (another punk kid it seemed) had wanted to personally oversee the process, so it had been strange to watch as he left the building not even a few minutes ago. Apparently he had other business to attend to, business that was more important than getting the answers the Sorceress apparently needed. Honestly, Marshal thought if the brat was gonna get anywhere he'd have to get his priorities straight but it was way above his pay grade to even make that suggestion. So instead, he'd just watched silently as the blonde had climbed into a car and disappeared into the desert beyond.

But as he took in the sight of the interrogation room that was supposed to be in use, he found the answer to his question and rushed off out of the room, his coffee left forgotten on the console.

Hustling double-time, Marshal descended the steps three at a time before jumping the gap to hit the ground, the balls of his feet taking the brunt of the impact but he paid it no mind as he broke out into a run. As he got closer and closer, he could hear the electrical feedback of the machine inside being pushed to the max, and he could only hope he made it in time before things became irreversible. When he reached the door, the sound was so loud it would drown out any and all the yelling he would have done when he got inside.

Sliding his key card through the slot on the side of the door, he was allowed access and he wasted no time crossing the threshold, barely taking in the sight afforded to him. As he entered, he gestured to the two Moombas standing in the area – little lion-like creatures with big paws and annoyingly high pitched squeaky voices – to follow him and jumped into action as he moved quickly across the room.

The power to the electrocution pad was on pull blast, the wall that was normally a chalky grey was now beaming orange and darkening to a red that would no doubt fry and burn the youth strapped onto it. Charlie Douglas – a subordinate of his who was known for his hair-trigger temper – was leaning on the lever (which was set to maximum and thus explained the flickering lights) and spewing curses at the SeeD, whose body was convulsing from the increase level of electricity running through him. Dread filled him when he realized the youth was only moving because of the current and he knew they'd all buy it if he didn't do something to stop this from getting any worse than it already was.

Easily closing the distance the room gave them, Marshal balled a fist and sent it flying into Charlie's jaw, forcing the man back and away. The man didn't respond right away, more than likely shocked out of his fury but Marshal paid him little mind as he set about deactivating the machinery. After raising the lever back up into its 'off' position, he pressed a couple of buttons that shut the current down, the monitor displaying that systems were returning to normal capacity.

Checking the screen to his immediate right that read the SeeD's vital signs, Marshal was unable to repress the sigh of relief as it indicated he was still alive. The signs were reading that his vitals were low, but not life-threatening like he had feared. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the youths' head fell forward, his hair blocking his features from view as his weight was supported solely by the bindings keeping him suspended. He was unconscious, probably had been for some time now, but he was still breathing at least.

Relief boiled into fury though as he stepped closer to the SeeD, checking him over for any other signs of injury. The flat bed itself would have been white hot and just by basing his analysis on the top of the youth's back, he had suffered some burns from the little episode. Scowling to himself, he realized another trip to medical was in order and he knew his superiors were not going to like the reason.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing?" Marshal growled as he turned his attention towards Charlie, who was rubbing his jaw. The other man seemed equally pissed but he chose not to say anything, apparently the first _good _decision he'd made all damn day. There would be a bruise from where he'd punched him, but Marshal was far from caring. "The Sorceress' orders were crystal clear. Keep him alive and get the fucking information out of him. An idiot would've been able to do that, so why the hell were you trying to kill him?'

"He's been playin' the 'I-don't-know' game since he got here," Charlie responded sourly. "He's got a fucking mouth on him too." He flushed slightly, more than likely out of embarrassment. The excuse sounded petty and weak, not even remotely close to being identified as acceptable.

"He's a fucking SeeD!" Marshal roared, having lost his patience. "He's gonna say _anything_ to keep from spilling his guts. They'd rather die than give themselves away, and you just very damn near gave him his way out!"

Marshal growled deep in his throat before whirling around and spotting the Moombas scampering into the room. "You two watch him," he indicated the SeeD behind him. "Charlie, you and I are gonna have a chat."

Marshal left the room and he could hear the sound of Charlie's foot falls follow him down the hall and away from the prisoner.

* * *

At first the discovery of the key the little creature wore had brought excitement, but as the resident party-pooper, Quistis had mentioned how easy it all felt and that she wouldn't have been surprised if there was no way to insert the key. At that point, the creature had withdrawn its key card, ran over to the door and opened a compartment in the metal that seemed to cover a key slot. When there were no signs of any further arguments from Quistis, Zell and the little creature had taken off, locking up behind them in case a guard showed up to check in on them.

Zell had been greeted by the familiar sight of an open oval space outside their cell. A great gaping circular hole took up most of this space, causing the ground beneath to form into a circular walkway, railings erected from around the hole to prevent people from falling over. The brawler had looked down to see where it would go, but he couldn't make out just how deep the gap was from his vantage point. Looking up though he saw something further above that looked too squared and cut out to have been a ceiling. He had his suspicions of what it could be, but forced them from his mind as he focused on his objective.

Littering the walls surrounding him and keeping the space enclosed were doors Zell assumed held the other prisoners. He contemplated letting the out and starting a ruckus that would provide them with a distraction, but opted not to. Stealth was key here, and the less attention he drew out, the better his chances of securing the weapons.

Selphie had been correct in what she had said when Zell had brought up the idea to let him go. Having come to the dream world as Ward when he'd worked at this prison, the brawler should've had ample amount of knowledge of the building. Unfortunately he didn't. Ward had no longer been a member of the Galbadian military. He'd been discharged shortly after their stint in Centra (Zell had not been present and thus had no clue what had happened) due to an injury in his throat that had robbed him of his voice. Instead, he'd been a janitor, mopping up floors and keeping the place clean.

If asked where the bathrooms, break rooms and supply closets were, Zell could've probably answered with a somewhat comfortable degree of confidence. But he had absolutely no clue where the Galbadians would've stashed their weapons. While Ward had had months, maybe years, to memorize the layout of this place, Zell had probably only had a few hours experience and his knowledge was only limited to the areas Ward had traversed during his previous visit.

In a word, they were kinda screwed.

Still, Zell had found he had to do something. Sitting around wasn't going to get them any closer to escape, that much he'd known, and the sooner the girls got their weapons back, the sooner they could plan for their escape.

But just as he contemplated where to start looking, he felt an incessant tug from his pant leg that directed his attention to the little creature who had wanted to tag along. Before Zell could ask what it wanted, the creature zoomed off on its own, forcing Zell to break into a run to follow after it.

The pair had climbed the stairs up onto the upper level where Zell spotted the numbers '7/8' written along the wall. Opting to catalogue it for later, the brawler focused his attention on following the little creature and hoping he didn't lose sight of it. They made several turns and twists that Zell easily lost track of and whenever Zell was about to go in what the creature thought to be the wrong direction, or they were about to be spotted by a guard, the little creature would tug at Zell's pant leg and made its intentions clear. If Zell didn't get it right away, then the little creature would simply push or pull the brawler out of harm's way with a strength it didn't look like it should possess.

All the hallways looked the same and Zell was more than a little worried about not being able to find his way back without being detected by the enemy. But he was also thankful that the little guy at least knew where they were headed. It would have been a headache searching through the prison and avoiding the armed guards standing at their posts. He paid as close attention to his surroundings as possible, but even then he still knew he would've been lost without the little creature's guidance.

Finally they found a hallway that didn't look like it'd been made from the same factory as the walls of the prison floor, corners and up stairwells. He followed after the strange creature, lightly treading and hoping his sneakers made as little noise as possible. It was hard to tell whether or not he'd succeeded without his junctions and he was forced to strain his hearing all the more to make out the tiny sounds. He didn't lament their loss for long though, knowing that there had been a time where he'd learned how to creep along without the help of Guardian Forces. He could make due, for now.

Finally they came to a room where the creature stood at the door before sliding its security key from the ring of keys around its collar into a slot in the door. There was a soft _click _that disturbed the air only momentarily before the door slid open with a _whoosh_ and allowed them entrance inside. The critter squeaked in accomplishment before gesturing to Zell to follow it inside.

What he was greeted with was a sight that reminded him of a very large library, only instead of book shelves there were rows upon rows of lockers all uniform grey but of different shapes and sizes with different objectives. Zell counted eight lockers in one row before reaching the ceiling on one end while another only had about three or four. Along the bottom of the cell was a sort of device that pulled along the frame ladder – which was hanging at the very of the room – along to reach the higher stacks of lockers. He supposed this must've been some kind of evidence locker where they put the possessions of those they left prisoner inside for storage. Why they didn't just destroy them was beyond the brawler, though he wasn't disappointed at the sight. It just meant that Quistis and Selphie's weapons were somewhere around here.

But finding them in here was going to be as much fun as finding a needle in a haystack. Without the right key, it was going to be far more difficult.

Hiding behind a wall of lockers, Zell took a moment to inspect the key slot before uttering an oath under his breath. They looked like old-fashioned locks with old-fashioned keyholes, much like the doors in General Caraway's mansion, and the little critter's keys were all key cards. Honestly he should've known it wouldn't be this easy but dammit a guy could hold out hope.

Atop each row of lockers were a set of numbers Zell assumed were meant to organize them. If he was guessing right, then the numbers symbolized the floor the object's owners were being held. Suddenly recalling the '7/8' he had spotted on the wall of his own floor, Zell searched around for a number matching that.

Feeling another urgent tug on his pants, Zell looked down and saw the critter scurry off a few feet to his right, hiding behind the lockers in the vicinity. After a moment, it motioned for him to follow and Zell did just that before poking his head out to see what was going on. He spotted a couple of soldiers nearby, walking almost purposefully down the row of lockers, as though they were here for a reason other than keeping watch. He hadn't seen many soldiers since his arrest and he wondered if they had any news of the outside but stowed the thoughts in favour of following after them.

He did just that, despite knowing there was no guarantee they would lead him to where he needed to be. But just as he resolved himself to the fate that he would have to keep a watch out, he noticed them walk down an aisle with marked with the numbers he'd been looking for. Refraining from cheering, Zell quietly followed after the before pressing his back against the side of a locker leading into the row, keeping an ear out for any hint that they were headed this way.

Of course, a bit of gossip sure as hell didn't hurt. Maybe it might even be useful in getting out of this dump.

"So you dragged me here to take a look at someone else's crap?" one of the soldiers asked, sounding bored.

"Believe me, you're gonna wanna check this out," his partner assured, sounding almost excited at the prospect. "Seriously man, you're gonna get a kick outta this."

Poking his head around the corner ever so slightly, watching as the excited soldier produced an old looking key and unlocked one of the cell doors. Zell was just contemplating stealing the key for himself when his breath caught at the sight of the thing the guy pulled out.

The other soldier was equally surprised, gone was the boredom from his voice. "Is that what I think it is?"

"You're god-damned right it is," the excited soldier said in a tone that said 'I told you so'. "I was standing guard when they put this thing in here. Thought it'd be bigger than in the magazines but it still looks fucking impressive."

And the stupid soldier raised up Squall's gunblade for a better look. Zell knew it was Squall's because he had seen that strange lion-gryphon shaped monster on the side enough as the other SeeD had methodically and meticulously cleaned it up. Zell had asked time and again to just hold it but he hadn't gotten so much as an annoyed grunt in response though the answer had been a clear cut 'no'. Watching the soldiers playing around with it caused Zell to cringe because he just knew what the other teenager's response would have been should he have caught him in the act.

Zell winced slightly as he almost subconsciously thought of asking him. Squall was gone, Rinoa had told him this much and assured him of what she had witnessed. No one could've come back from an attack like that and he was just going to have to get used to the idea that the Squad leader was dead, no matter how painful. But as he thought of it, he couldn't stop the confusion from sweeping through him as he watched the soldiers take turns handling the gunblade. Squall was dead and gone. So why was his gunblade here?

Whatever the reason, Zell found himself staring straight at an objective. He would steal back the gunblade, just as he planned to do with Quistis' whip and Selphie's nunchaku and he would bring it back to the Garden. What they would do with it after that, he wasn't sure but he most definitely knew that Squall wouldn't have wanted it in the hands of their enemy.

"So which of the inmates on the 7th floor had _this _thing?" The second soldier asked, breaking the brawler out of his thoughts.

"Actually, none of 'em," the first one piped up. "Its owner was one of the punks who tried to kill the Sorceress. You'd think he was an adult, but turns out he's just some punk kid who was high on testosterone. Word has it that the prisoner is a member of SeeD."

Zell didn't find this information new. He knew that the soldiers would have figured out that they were all SeeD by then. While the lights never went out at night (which had been cause of complaining from both Selphie and Rinoa) Zell had kept strict track of the number of times they'd received food from the guards. From his calculations, it had been at least a week since the attempt.

But he also knew that there were plenty of people who found it amazing that people his age (Zell had just turned seventeen, with his birthday falling just days before the most recent field exam), were SeeDs. Many SeeDs were fairly young when they started out, seventeen being around the most common time SeeD members graduated. But because SeeD operated usually in secret, very rarely did the topic of age crop up and more often than not the Garden used it to their advantage.

However, Zell was startled to realize that they were talking about Squall in the present tense. Not the past tense, but the present. Why would they do that if he were dead? It didn't make sense. Rinoa had been a witness for fuck's sakes.

Still at the thought of their phrasing, Zell couldn't help the glimmer of hope from swallowing him though he managed to force back the grin that threatened to splay out from his features. If Squall was alive, then that would mean he'd be somewhere in the prison. He forced himself to drone out everything else and focus on the two guards, hoping to get some clue, even if it was only to confirm or deny.

"Yeah, he tried to do in the Sorceress," the soldier was saying to his partner, "but obviously he failed. No one's strong enough to go up against her, SeeD or not."

"Glad she's on _our_ side," the second soldier snorted.

"Anyhow, they brought him here, but he was in pretty bad shape so the higher ups sent him straight to medical to get him fixed up. His buddies were also brought in, booked and shoved in a cell on this floor. Get this, they're _all _a bunch of kids. Last I heard, he's been moved to Level E."

"Think he'll give up his employer?" the soldier asked and Zell frowned, trying to recall from the trip to the dream world what Level E was. His mind drew a blank and he frowned.

"Probably not, but I don't know if that's what they're after. Overheard them saying he had some information the Sorceress was looking for. But the bigwigs upstairs'll get him talking."

Pulling himself away, Zell barely heard the guards as they continued to yammer on about their latest acquisitions. So it was true. Squall really was still alive. Somehow he'd survived the fight against the Sorceress (though from the sounds of it, just barely) and he'd been shipped to this very prison to. Also, from the sounds of it, Level E was some kind of interrogation place, but the brawler'd be damned if he knew where that was. He had to get back, tell the girls the good news, and find out where exactly.

He was just about to leave in order to do just that, but something tugged at his pant leg stopping him. He looked down to see the creature looking up at him in confusion and suddenly remembered, with a guilty pang, why he had come here in the first place. If they wanted to escape, Selphie and Quistis would both need their weapons, otherwise it would be impossible to do so, and it was up to him to get those back first.

"Look at what else is here," the first soldier said suddenly, drawing the brawler's attention once more. Looking around the corner, he spotted both men leaning forward inside a locker – the gunblade was propped against the lockers behind them, its pointed tip touching the floor beneath it – in search of something else. He produced the weapon and Zell once again fought back the feeling of elation as he took in the sight. "This thing looks like one of those ninja weapons."

"It's a nunchaku," the second guy boasted. "A fucking big one at that. This guy must have hands the size of my head to hold two of them."

"I don't see a second one," the first soldier said and he looked inside of the locker before moving out of it a second later. "Nope, there's only one."

"Aren't there supposed to be two? The second one asked in confusion. "Like in the movies?"

"They're not as big as this one though," the first one said with a verbal shrug. "That's just fucked up. Doesn't matter though. I'll show you the other weapon in here. I think it's around here somewhere…"

As Zell watched the soldier look around for the appropriate locker, Zell steeled himself, waiting for the opportunity to intervene. It seemed to have been good fortune that caused the brawler to follow these two idiots. Not only did he find the girl's weapons but he had some really good news to share to boot. If all the guards were like these two, then getting out was going to be a cake walk.

"Ah, here it is," the soldier said after another moment. He pulled out Quistis' chain whip, and looked it over. "Takes some major training to use one of these."

"That's why they're SeeDs," the second soldier said as he took the whips handle. He tried to crack it in the air like Quistis always did, but it made a weak flopping motion instead. "They're trained to know how to use these kinds of weapons."

Zell raised himself out of his crouched form, put a finger to his lips to keep the little critter quiet and then charged around the corner as fast as he could. The soldier facing him could see him coming, but the one with the whip was too slow. Clasping his hands together, the brawler brought them up against the soldier's head, wincing as his fists came into contact with the thick helmet. The guy got knocked into the lockers close by, but judging by the way he shook his head, the SeeD had failed to knock him out.

The second soldier charged forward, drawing his short sword and Zell was suddenly forced to dodge the erratic slashes of the bladed weapon, side stepping and ducking to avoid getting hit. He resisted the urge to block the lashes; he'd lose a hand and possibly a forearm if he did that.

"Call for back up!" The soldier slashing at him shouted and Zell realized with a sinking gut that the first guy was recovering from the blow. He reached for his communicator and Zell realized it was all over.

But then the small critter came running up from behind the brawler, and bit down – hard from the sounds of it – onto the soldier's leg. The man screamed for all it was worth before the creature let go, jumped up and kicked the crouching man in the head with power behind the action it shouldn't have possessed at all. The blow resulted in knocking the wounded soldier hard against the lockers before he slid to the floor and didn't stir.

"Aw shit!" The second soldier cursed and Zell saw an opening. He balled a fist and threw a punch into the man's abdomen, below the chest armour and hit the guy's solar plexus. He wheezed out a cry of pain before Zell jumped up and executed a side kick that knocked him into the lockers. Between the blow to the chest and the hit to the head, it was a small wonder why the guy slid down against the lockers and remained that way.

"Oh yeah! Who's _the_ man?" Zell held up his hand before realizing that the little critter probably didn't understand what he meant. Before he could lower the appendage however, the creature leapt up higher than the brawler had ever thought possible for something so small and smacked his hand with an outstretched paw. He was so impressed that when the creature landed, Zell crouched down, holding both hands out in front of him, wondering fleetingly if it knew what he was doing now.

Sure enough, the little thing proved that the impossible could happen and slapped its paws down on top of his before mirroring the brawler's position. The SeeD slapped his hands down on top of the creature's outstretched paws before it threw a fist up into the air in a sign of victory.

Zell cocked his head to the side and grinned. "You're a cool little dude, you know that?"

The creature nodded its head enthusiastically.

Zell nodded back before picking up the whip that the first soldier had dropped when he'd gotten laid out by the little guy. Afterwards, he retrieved both the discarded nunchaku and gunblade, strapping the latter against his back with the string from one of the soldier's bootlaces. Once he'd gotten everything collected, his mind went back to his sudden discovery and he couldn't help but grin broadly at the news.

Nearly bursting at the thought that their comrade wasn't dead after all, he crouched back down at the little fella, rubbing his hands together as he said, "Just _wait_ until the girls hear about this!"


	6. Chapter IV: Round Two

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter IV:  
Round Two**

* * *

The worst part of absolutely _everything _was the waiting.

Selphie was a firm believer in this philosophy, knowing that time seemed to stretch when all you had to do was wait. It was an uncomfortable sensation to know that your lives and what you did next depended on being patient and waiting for things to come to you.

In this case, it was their weapons. Zell was taking what seemed to be forever to get them back and Selphie entertained the notion that perhaps the brawler had gotten lost before she shook herself of the thought. Ward had worked here in the dream world and since Zell had seen through his eyes then he must know where he was going. Then there was the possibility that he had been caught by the guards, but that seemed unlikely. They would have gotten a visit from that mean guard and his flunkies by now. And Zell would have been returned to them in a bloody mess, if they hadn't killed him anyway. As much confidence Selphie had in Zell's martial arts skills, she knew the odds were stacked against him should he become surrounded with no access to his junctions.

Since his departure, Quistis had settled into taking up Zell's totally annoying habit of pacing. At least it wasn't the shadow boxes – that was totally distracting. But as soon as the thought popped up into her head Selphie was forced to suppress a giggle, because the sight of Quistis punching invisible foes in the corner was just so absolutely ridiculous. For the most part, the petit girl had inspected her fingers, for what she didn't know but it passed the time.

The worst part about the waiting was that absolutely _nothing _had happened at all since Zell had left their cell. The guard who had paid them an earlier visit with the lion-like creature still had yet to return to 'teach them a lesson'. Still, it would only be a matter of time and she absolutely hoped Zell returned with their weapons by then. It wouldn't be much consolation, but at least they'd have a fighting chance.

But what would they do after that? Sure, there was Zell's knowledge of the prison but he'd never mention what was _outside _these walls. She knew _she _had no idea where this prison was located geographically and Quistis had mentioned she'd been brought in with a bag over her head (Zell and Selphie had both woken up to discover that they were locked up tight in the cell). All in all, no one had any clue where exactly they were, though because of the name Selphie was willing to bet that they were in a desert.

The same thoughts that were running through Selphie's mind were absorbing Quistis' attention as she meanwhile paced the length of the room and back. Normally, she was opposed to such an activity but here at least it gave her the illusion of doing something. Now she could no longer fault Zell for defaulting to this course of action.

Another concern of hers was the knowledge that Rinoa had not come back just yet. The guards who had left with her had done so an indefinite number of hours previous and they hadn't seen hide or hair of her since. There was the possibility she was being interrogated by the soldiers – she had been present during the frontal assault against the Sorceress, so it would make some sense. Still, that had been what felt like hours ago. Being a civilian, there was no reason to believe she would have held out for so long, but then why weren't they being dragged out to their deaths?

But then Quistis recalled that Rinoa didn't know much at all concerning their plans. Because she was a civilian she would be useless to them, so it was possibly they simply did away with her. The thought didn't make her feel any better though, because not only did she not wish such ill will on the raven-haired girl who, despite all the trouble she had caused in the past was only trying to help, but it would mean one of _them _was next.

She had had some experience in the past with interrogation from the enemy and she knew enough from that experience to know that of the three she would be the one most likely to withstand it. She didn't know how either Zell or Selphie would take to such an experience and she didn't want to chance that they gave up Caraway's identity and the involvement of the Galbadian Garden master.

By now, though it wouldn't matter if Martine was identified as an accomplice. Galbadia Garden was most definitely taken over by the Sorceress by now (which in itself would prove evidence of their failure). She couldn't even warn the other two Gardens of the situation in Deling and have them prepare accordingly.

There was a loud click that disrupted the silence (Selphie had tried to fill it but to no avail – Quistis was far too worried to engage her in casual conversation). The former instructor paused in mid-stride while Selphie looked up from her inspection. Both sets of eyes were fixed at the door in front of them in trepidation, not knowing whether to expect the brawler or one of the guards. Quistis crouched down in case it turned out to be the latter but when the saw the familiar tattooed face of Zell accompanied by the strange lion creature, she relaxed her stance.

"Someone's a little jumpy," Zell said after the creature closed the door behind them.

"You would be too if all we could do was wait until you got back," Selphie remarked, having done the same. Quistis simply rolled her eyes as the younger girl rubbed her hands together, almost like a child waiting to open a present. "Did you get 'em?"

"Sure did," Zell said through a grin and, sure enough, slung against his waist was Quistis' chain whip with his right hand holding the handle in a secure fashion. Selphie's nunchaku rested in his left palm respectively, his fingers barely making it around the width of the weapon. He handed each girl their respective weapons and seemingly watched as Quistis snapped the whip into the air with a loud crack and Selphie swung the nunchaku around in eager fashion. It took a minute longer as they inspected their weapons for damage before she realized the brawler appeared to be waiting on something. Once she'd re-holstered her weapon against her hip, she noticed something metallic had been strapped against the brawlers back by what looked to be some kind of belt.

Selphie seemed to notice it too. "Whatcha got there, Zelly?"

Zell threw her a look, having asked her several times during their stay not to call her that. The look went ignored and Selphie stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to answer her question. With a sigh, he turned his back to them, seemingly thinking against answering her question but it only took a second for the former instructor to register that he was showing them his answer rather than telling them. She gazed in shock at the very familiar weapon and Selphie gasped in shock, her hands flying to cover her nose and mouth.

The tattooed blond seemed to have expected the response because he needed no invitation to speak. "It was locked up along with your weapons," Zell explained when words failed either girl.

But before he could go into further detail (and before the girls could badger him for answers), there was another loud clicking noise. Someone else was coming into the prison cell. They at least knew who it was this time and Selphie and Zell both wisely stepped away from the door. Selphie went to withdraw her weapon but Quistis grabbed her attention and signalled for her to leave it be. It would serve as an element of surprise if they did nothing to draw attention to their latest acquisition and they couldn't afford to lose the only edge they possessed.

As the door began to open, she could hear the voice of the horrendous guard from the earlier confrontation speaking. "This is where the uncooperative prisoners are being held. Bunch of loud mouthed punks..." she heard him grumbling. "Give them something to _really_ complain about."

Quistis caught Selphie mouthing 'uh oh' in their general direction and couldn't help but agree, because it appeared as though the guard from before had brought in soldiers to help teach them some manners. Zell looked unnerved and simply craned his neck to the left and causing a small _pop _to echo lightly as he cracked it. There was no doubt that he was simply preparing for the upcoming confrontation and cracked his knuckles shortly after. The gunblade he had strapped to his back gleamed in the artificial light, though the brawler most definitely was not about to use it.

Still, Quistis only had a fleeting moment to wonder about the implications of the weapon before she directed her attention forward once again, watching as the guard stepped inside the room while one of the two soldiers he appeared to have retrieved spoke to him in a gruff sounding voice.

"That won't be a problem," the gruff voice spoke. Zell relaxed his fighting stance and shoot a glance at Selphie, who returned it with a raised brow. Quistis arched a brow of her own as she caught the movement but said nothing, not wanting to draw their attention from the door. Whatever it was, they were bound to find out. "We'll show them not to take their situation lightly."

"Geez..." a second voice – not nearly as old as the first – sounded. "Only been here a week and they're causing trouble already? You'd think they'd realize by now that they're not in a position to be doing much of anything."

The first unfamiliar voice lowered – Quistis couldn't make out what was being said, but then the door opened, the guard stepping across the threshold first. "These are the prisoners, Lieutenant Biggs, Private Wedge."

Selphie's jaw dropped while Zell froze in his place, and when the two soldiers entered the room – the lieutenant wearing a red jumpsuit beneath his battle armour while the private wore blue – all four of them – Selphie, Zell, and the two Galbadian soldiers – screamed, with Selphie and the soldier in blue pointed at either side.

Having started at the sound, Quistis simply blinked at the sight in confusion, wondering how the hell the four of them seemed to know each other. Zell and Selphie had had very limited exposure in the field, and thus it should've been highly unlikely that they knew an enemy like it had been years since their encounter. Still, she couldn't discredit what was happening right before her eyes and caught sight that the guard who had escorted them also appeared bewildered at the sight. Even the lion creature beside Zell tilted its head and shrugged in apparent confusion.

But despite how unnerved she was at the sight, no one was more unnerved than the four of them, the two soldiers in particular.

Meanwhile, David Wedge eyed the girl in yellow and the blonde boy wearily, almost afraid they'd jump out and bite him. "Biggs! Those're the twerps from the Communication Tower!"

William Biggs, for his part, didn't need his subordinate to tell him that, because he'd recognized them almost instantly upon sight. He doubted he would've forgotten them even if he'd tried, their distinguishing features making it all the easier. The tattoo on the boy and the girl's stature was more than enough to identify them.

The last they'd encountered the twerps they had been stationed in Dollet, left to service the Communication's Tower and re-establish the uplink that had been offline for the last seventeen years. The only thing that had changed was their clothing. Gone were the uniforms that had identified them as cadets, and now they were wearing street clothes. It seemed as though they were now full-fledged SeeDs, no doubt having reaped the rewards of their performance back then.

It was very telling how they had managed to become SeeD members while Biggs and Wedge had been demoted for their performance.

Still he couldn't help but grin at their expense. Some SeeDs they turned out to be, since they'd been captured on what he could only assume to be their first mission. While this provided some sense of amusement, this was quickly overtaken by the remembrance of how they'd had their clocks cleaned during their last encounter. Specifically the shorter girl who had caused a strange float spell to lift them right in front of the monster who had been perched on top of the tower. They'd barely managed to get out with their lives and had hoped the Black Widow would have made quick work of them before it had been destroyed on Lapin Beach. Apparently, they hadn't been so lucky.

But there was a definite upside to their current predicament because, this time, they didn't have weapons on them. Another crucial thing he discovered was the twerp with the scar and the gunblade – yet another one he could definitely identify out of a crowd – was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a girl with glasses who looked like she could be working in a library instead of toiling as a mercenary, outfitted in an orange that was almost as big an eyesore as the shorter girl's yellow dress. Moments ago, she had regarded them all with confusion but it seemed that Wedge's commentary had cleared things up for her and she looked at them with a sudden understanding before she was able to mask her expression. From that alone Biggs figured she'd been running around somewhere in Dollet and had probably heard of the incident.

But despite how she appeared, there was something about her that made the Lieutenant believe that she'd been out in the field longer than the previous two. It couldn't have been by a long stretch, because she didn't look _that _much older than them.

In an attempt to collect himself, he cleared his throat audibly. "W-well, well... now _this _is somewhat unexpected," he barked out, trying to regain his composure. Since the fuck up in Dollet, Biggs and Wedge had both suffered a rather large bit of bad luck. Thinking about past battles and the fact that they were face to face with the cause wasn't going to help matters though. "Now we'll teach you twerps the lesson you should have learned back when we first met." He folded his arms across his chest as he spoke. "It may seem cowardly to pick on unarmed prisoners, but I hope you can appreciate our position. Had you not caused any problems, we wouldn't be here right now, but let's face it. It's a dog eat dog..."

"Uh, sir..." Wedge interrupted and Biggs levelled a glare in his subordinate's direction. "They've, uh, got their weapons, sir."

"What?" Biggs exclaimed and when he turned back around, he took in their appearance more carefully. Attached to the blonde girl's hip was a chain whip and the girl in the yellow dress reached behind her and withdrew the oversized nunchaku she tended to fight with.

"Oh, I _do_ hope he doesn't mean these," the blonde girl said, gesturing to her weapon. The girl in the yellow dress seemed to be inspecting her own with half-hearted interest towards the two soldiers.

The blonde boy craned his neck back and thrust his fists in front of him in a standard fighter stance. "Eh, fuck 'em. What do _I_ need weapons for?"

Gulping slightly, Biggs knew he was right. The last time he'd felt the guy's fists had been when he'd been up against the gunblade twerp. The tattooed punk had tripped him, thus knocking him off his feet. Mercifully, the gunblader's side slash had missed, but the landing had hurt like a bitch.

Clearly aware that the colour had drained from his features at the sight, he managed to pipe out, "How the hell did...?" before shaking his head, knowing that they had to deal with them anyway. "Ah, screw it! Wedge! Front and centre!"

* * *

The dark was beginning to recede as he slowly began to drift back into consciousness, becoming more and more aware of the sounds and things around him. He didn't want to return so quickly, feeling like he'd only just blissfully forgotten why he was out in the first place. His back ached and he clutched at the darkness almost desperate to be placed back under its protectiveness once more.

But the memories didn't heed his pleas to leave him be, and as a result he was forced to endure flashes of them that floated through him like ghosts. He remembered the parade (_what a disaster that had been_), his visit to the dream world (_why am I always that bumbling idiot?_), and finally the torture he had endured that had brought him to this state (_Seifer, you sadistic asshole…_).

All of it returned to him as did the sensation in his body. His back hurt like hell and he muttered a hiss as something tentatively touched the spot right below his neck. In addition, something was clawing at his feet while something else was hitting him in the face. It was the last action that was mostly responsible for him returning to awareness and though it appeared the action was not meant to harm, he tried twisting away and out of range, imploring whatever it was to stop. Because each time whatever it was came in contact with him, it brought him closer and closer to consciousness and he most definitely did not want that. He wanted to stay this way for as long as possible and thus clung to the drifting feeling as hard as he could, like a man in the desert clutches to the last flask of water.

_Please,_ Squall pleaded mentally, willing whatever it was to listen, _just let me sleep._

Whatever it was spoke, almost as though it had heard him. It was barely discernible and sounded more as a squeak than it did any intelligible word. He wasn't even sure if it had been speaking the common language at all, and supposed that was a very likely possibility, though it didn't sound like any language he had ever heard of, even back at the Garden during his studies. But the sound was loud enough that it was bringing him back to consciousness sooner than he wanted to. _Shut up,_ his mind snapped forcefully, willing them to listen.

The squeaking noise sounded again, but this time he was coherent enough to realize that it _had_ been saying something all along. Before there had been some question in the tone, though now it was more definite. The weirdest thing about it was after a minute of this, he realized he recognized the word, but was struggling to figure out how they knew it:

They were saying 'Laguna'.

Squall slowly came around, wincing as the injuries he'd sustained and the pain he'd endured from being electrocuted reminded him that he shouldn't move around very much. His back felt burned as though it had come into contact with something hot and he realized after a look at the flat bed against the wall that he probably had. His last memories were of the guard pulling down the lever, and he found himself shocked to realize he was still alive.

But he became even more surprised to see that his saviours weren't human but these strange miniature lions he'd never before seen. Raising his hands albeit slowly and sluggishly, he rubbed at his eyes fully believing that he was seeing things through the haze that had settled over his head. Nope, they were still there. Three of them surrounded him, huddling next to his prone form and then he realized that he still should've been on the flat bed. Now, he seemed to have been propped up against the wall he had been previously restrained against. Turning to his right, wondering why there were no guards to stop this, he spotted a fourth creature at the control panel he had last seen the guard standing at.

It slowly dawned on the SeeD that these creatures had freed him from his restraints and they even looked concerned as he tried to focus on them. He shook his head wearily, it didn't make much sense and it hurt to think too much on it. Judging from the way they seemed to know the controls (they'd sort of have to if they had released him), he could safely assume that they worked here. But if that was the case, then he was the enemy. Why would they just let him go? "I don't understand..." he said, looking from one of the creatures to the other.

"Laguna!" The creatures hopped up and down excitedly on the spot. "Laguna! Laguna!"

He frowned thoughtfully as he mulled it over in his head but the dull throb that formed between his temples forced him to stop. Then he felt cool glass against his arm and when he turned to regard it he spotted two of the creatures holding out a bottle of blue liquid. He recognized the potion and tentatively reached out to grab it, almost afraid that it was about to vanish before he could touch it. Sure enough, his bare hands made contact with the object and he accepted the offering gratefully.

The other creature made a squeaking noise before darting out of the room. Where it was headed, Squall wasn't sure and again he tried not to puzzle on it. But the other three creatures were still there, standing over him almost protectively and it took a moment for it to dawn on the SeeD that they were doing exactly that. They reminded him of the guarding positions they had learned at the Garden, specifically when regarding any kind of escort mission. Three SeeDs in a triangle formation with the client pressed in the centre, unreachable by the enemy unless they got through their guard. This was what he felt like now, and the thought that they were trying to protect them was amusing, if only a little. But he was careful not to let it show in his expression.

Unscrewing the lid to the potion, he put the opening to his mouth, and still tried to work his head around what he'd heard them say.

* * *

The odds had been stacked against them from the moment the two Galbadian soldiers had charged them. They were strong, far stronger than they had been back in Dollet, and even then they had seemed almost unbeatable. Had Seifer not timed his intervention the way he had, they probably would have been gunned down.

They had started the fight instantly with automated weapons fire that they were forced to dodge. But then the blue soldier had charged in with his short sword and Zell had intercepted the blow, using his momentum to push the soldier back with his should pressing against his rib cage. Without junctions, the bulrush did nothing but off balance him and Zell took advantage by gripping the man's head with both hands and ramming his knee into the enemy's chin, knocking him further back. But when he raised his right leg in an attempt to knee him in the side, the soldier grabbed the brawler's leg and forced him off balance.

Before he could capitalize on Zell's misfortune, both Quistis and Selphie had sprung into action. The former instructor had lashed out with her whip, the end wrapping around the soldier's raised hand as Selphie swung her nunchaku forward and clocked him in the side of the head, knocking him down. Zell landed on both knees and all three of them were force to scramble out of the way as a powerful Thundara spell lashed out from nowhere, striking the ground they had been standing at moments ago. The backlash of the spell managed to get everyone involved, including the soldier, and they were forced to the ground even as the Biggs guy ran in to take advantage of their position.

Selphie was the first to recover, though unsure of how as she was the smallest. Deciding not to question her good fortune, the petit SeeD leapt in the path of the soldier's charge, though all she managed to accomplish was to knock him off course as she bounced off his side and hit the ground with a painful _thud. _Biggs for his part stumbled past Zell – who had been in the line of his charge – but managed to stay on his feet.

Almost from reflex, Selphie raised her arm to retaliate with a Thunder spell of her own but caught herself at the very last second, recalling the stupid anti-magic field was still in play. Cursing lightly under her breath, she caught sight of Zell, who had recovered from the Thundara blast, tackling the soldier in blue to the ground, who had only just managed to recover himself. That was all the time she had to observe because Biggs, who now seemed to view her as his target, opened fire with his machine gun and forced the girl to dodge to the side.

Landing in a clumsy crouch, Selphie raised her hands in the air, nunchaku in both hands in a blocking pose, but her attention was captured when she heard someone shout "Oh no you don't!" Become distracted once more, Selphie watched as Quistis launched her whip in the direction of the guard who was making a break for it, appearing to not have expected them to fight back. The whip wrapped around the man's legs and with a slight tug from the instructor, his feet flew out from under him and he slammed face first into the metallic floor beneath. From the looks of it, he wasn't about to get up any time soon.

_Nothing beats Karma,_ Selphie thought in amusement before she was forced to dodge back as Biggs charged towards her. Scowling at herself, she found that she was at a total loss of what to do. Having always been the magic enforcer of the group, she was completely helpless without the assistance of her junctions or the ability to cast magic. Her attacks weren't nearly as forceful and effective as they were with the help of Siren and Ifrit, and she knew it was only a matter of time before Biggs cornered her and she was really in trouble.

"Can't we talk truce?" Selphie tried meekly, doubtful that it would actually work. In response, Biggs opened fire once again and the diminutive SeeD was forced to back pedal out of the way.

"Fuck that!" Biggs snarled as he prepared another magic spell. "I got demoted because of you punks! I'm only a Lieutenant now!"

Selphie gulped loudly. She knew from her limited experiences that people were generally ruled by two things in life, money and their pride. Take away one or the other (or both), and the person became very difficult to handle. The last time she fought Biggs, his subordinate had addressed him as 'Major'. It was a pretty steep fall from that to Lieutenant.

And as much as the thought of a soldier suffering a pay cut frightened her, there was another thought that kept crossing her mind that helped her to remain calm. Even as she was forced to cartwheel away from a blast of fire, she analysed Biggs, trying to figure out what didn't belong. The anti-magic field was up and running perfectly, the only reason she was unable to retaliate with spells of her own, so how was he able to cast magic? Of course it made sense that the guards and soldiers were given some kind of immunity to the effects in case someone tried to escape, but she was having a hard time figuring out exactly what.

She called back the past images of Galbadian soldiers she had been forced to fend off prior to her capture behind the Presidential Residence (that had been embarrassing – coming out of a manhole only to find that she'd taken a wrong turn). It was easy enough since that terrible night had been the only thing she'd thought about since being incarcerated and finally she saw it. There was a belt that sat around the lieutenant's waist was different from all of the other belts that soldiers in his rank wore. She'd never seen it before until just now. That _had_ to be the item that was nullifying the magic.

If she could break it, then that would put them on an even playing ground. But if she could find a way to _steal_ it and use it on herself, then it would tip the odds in her favour.

Landing into a crouch from her latest dodging attempt, Selphie bounded forward with the sole intention of knocking Biggs back on his high-ranking ass and figuring out how to unclasp the belt. Biggs saw her coming and backed up a step – he apparently wanted to keep her further away in order to utilize his machine gun – and she swung out with the nunchaku, the wooden plank that flew forward hit the man in the leg but didn't knock him down, only caused him to jump back and shout out a pained cry. Selphie had expected the outcome but it didn't stop her from scowling all the same.

So instead, she did the next best thing. Replacing her weapon onto the holster on her back, she lunged forward. Having recovered from the shot to his shin, Biggs put his arms in front of him, obviously thinking she would tackle him from above, but instead she forced herself to slide forward, using her own feet to knock him off balance as she'd seen Zell do back at the Communication's Tower. As she slid almost completely underneath him, he was kicked off his feet and he fell forward, hitting the metal flooring with an audible thunk.

Selphie didn't come away unscathed unfortunately, because when the soldier fell, his feet impacted with her forehead. A white hot pain lashed out from the point of impact and, shutting her eyes reflexively, she winced as stars and all sorts of colours danced beneath her eyelids. It seemed apparent that Biggs wore steel-toed boots, but it was a miracle in and of itself the impact hadn't cracked open her skull or bashed her head open. The colours swirled on top of what looked to be a black canvas before mercifully she greyed out for a moment.

When the pounding between her temples lessened, she pulled herself up onto her feet slowly, her throat raw from crying out in pain – a cry she hadn't heard. Twisting behind her, she saw that Biggs was starting to shake himself out of his daze – he was wearing a helmet so he was protected from the majority of the collision, and it amazed her that she seemingly had recovered first.

Not questioning her good fortune though, the diminutive SeeD was back up on her feet, ignoring the pounding that should have, by all rights, rendered her unconscious. Without warning, she lunged onto the lieutenant's back, trying to find a clasp that would undo the belt. She could see Zell stop to watch as she tried to undress the man, the expression clearly betraying his attempt at figuring out just what the hell she was doing, but she ignored him in favour of completing her objective. Biggs shouted out indignantly but there was no way Selphie was letting him get away.

Finally she found something that looked like a bump but could have easily have been a button or the desired clasp. She pressed down on it with her thumb before she was thrown unceremoniously off of the soldier. As she hit the ground, she saw – to her sheer delight – that the belt was coming off. It slid to the ground like an oversized hoola-hoop and hit the floor with a lightweight _clank_.

Biggs seemed to realize this too, but before he could bend down and retrieve the fallen object, Selphie jumped forward, tackling the man and knocking him back onto the ground. Using his body to cushion the fall, she reached back and grabbed the belt, but before she could put it on, she was forced to lean back before Biggs could punch her. Unfortunately when she leaned back, Biggs grabbed a hold of the device and so began an unprecedented game of tug of war. Selphie gritted her teeth and grabbed the belt with her free hand, using both to try and pull the object away. Biggs kept a tight grip on the prize with just one hand as he raised the other, preparing to open fire at close range with the machine gun, right into Selphie's face.

Struggling to figure out what to do about this, Selphie looked around, and realized her current position. Thinking quickly, she grinned evilly and saw the hesitation that crossed Biggs features (the part she could see at least) before forcing herself up and slamming her butt _hard_ on top of his crotch.

Even without being able see them, she could tell that the lieutenant's eyes widened.

His grip slackened from the belt and she pulled it – and herself – away from the ailing soldier, who rolled over and curled up into a ball, both hands cradling his groin area. Cheering loudly, she slipped the large device around her waist and pressed the small button again, wondering if it would fit. Then the device shrunk, and she was surprised to find that it fit her waist snugly.

_One size fits all,_ she mentally mused to herself. Before she could question anything else, she could feel the responsive click in the back of her mind, like she had slid a key into a door and turned it while it was embedded in a lock. After that, she could easily feel the presence of the Guardian Force of Fire, Ifrit, and the guardian Siren – of whom she'd wrestled from a wind monster from Dollet, and grinned as she began to feel the added strength from both of them. It proved that she was right. The belts did prevent the anti-field from working on whoever wore them.

Deciding to end this fight, she stretched out her hand, allowing the magical energies that had been denied her for the last week to flow through her body and arc through her arm before she released it. A massive Thundaga filled the room and Quistis and Zell were forced to back pedal in order to avoid it. The remaining three people in the room – the two soldiers and the one unconscious guard – were engulfed within the fierce element. When the sparks faded, no one stirred.

"How the hell...?" Zell trailed off as Selphie giggled and revolved around the spot, giving both blondes a view of her new accessory.

"Lookie what I found!" She beamed at the puzzled expressions forming on the both of their faces as she indicated the metallic belt she now sported. "_This_ was why those two goons were able to cast magic."

Zell's jaw dropped and Quistis' expression took on a thoughtful one. Selphie could almost see the gears moving in her head before the elder girl finally looked up. "If we could find more of those things, then we would stand a chance of escaping this place."

"So what're we waiting for?" Zell asked, gesturing at the unconscious trio. Selphie saw his point. She didn't want to be around when they finally woke up.

"Just a moment," Quistis said as she moved over to where Wedge and that mean guard were lying prone. She inspected the belt he wore and looked up, shaking her head unhappily. "It was fried during the Thundaga spell."

"Oopsie," Selphie said sheepishly, sticking her tongue out in embarrassment. "Guess I overdid it."

"In more ways than one," Zell quipped. Selphie giggled.

"At any rate, there may be more soldiers in this place," Quistis said, rising to her feet. "We'll find another opportunity."

* * *

He waited until they'd left before breathing a sigh of relief. He'd gotten lucky; being able to feign unconsciousness with the stupid twerps not once, but _twice._

Biggs had been hit by the Thundaga spell alright, but after the fiasco in Dollet he'd taken to wearing enhancement armour that reduced magical infliction. It had been used during the war between Galbadia and Esthar years ago and he'd paid a pretty Gil in order to get it special ordered, but he'd thought that he'd take it just in case.

It turned out to be a good idea.

He checked on Wedge and the guard, noting that they were completely out of it. It appeared that he was the only one who had thought to use the special armour and he couldn't fault them for not doing the same, despite wanting to. There hadn't been a single break out in the Desert Prison since it had opened twenty years ago, so they hadn't expected the prisoners to be able to utilize magic.

_That_ blunder rested on his shoulders alone.

_What's below a lieutenant?_ He wondered to himself bleakly, knowing that the Galbadians weren't going to let him off the hook for this foul up any more than they did for the disaster in Dollet. He decided he would look it up the next time he got a chance if he was still curious enough to do so.

Still, that didn't mean he couldn't stop the little punks from escaping. They may have gotten out of their cell, but they wouldn't be getting any further than that. Not if he had any say in the matter. He cringed and forced a breath through clenched teeth as he pulled his arm up off the ground, reaching for the metal bands he wore along his forearms. Along one of them was a small circular button almost unnoticeable to the naked eye and he pressed it down with his index finger before he relaxed his position against the metal floor.

And just like clockwork, the klaxons began to sound, blaring their warning loud and shrill. He'd never thought he'd see the day where he would look forward to hearing the obnoxious sound, but the alarm would do its trick. As he lay there, there was no doubt in his mind that the soldiers and guards were beginning to assemble, preparing to investigate the cause and he allowed himself a gratified smile.

* * *

Upon leaving their cell and the goons behind, Selphie had inquired about where they were going to go. Unfortunately, Zell didn't know his way around the place well enough to get them out of there. From what he'd seen through Wards eyes in the Dream World, each and every room looked identical to one another, with the exception of a couple rooms on the higher floors, and the hallways were no different from that. He had come to the conclusion during his escapade with the little lion creature that the building had been constructed that way to keep the prisoners disoriented in the event someone got lucky enough to break out of their cells.

After all, that was merely the first step in escaping the prison, or so it would appear.

Still, Zell had been saved the task of answering. Quistis had asked about Rinoa's weapon, to which he'd informed the girls of how he'd looked all over the place but hadn't been able to find it. He'd only just managed to finish giving the girls the good news he'd overheard from the soldiers in the locker room when the alarm suddenly went off, alerting all the guards that there was a break out and that monsters were gonna be released in order to slow them up. To make things even worse, the announcement also gave the soldiers and guards permission to kill they put up a fight.

Everyone exchanged glances between one another with no real need to vocalize their thoughts. Either one of the three goons hadn't been down for the count as they'd thought or, upon leaving the cell, they'd tripped some kind of silent alarm. Either option was viable, but they didn't have enough time to confirm the correct response.

"Do you know where the interrogation rooms are?" Zell quickly asked the little lion creature. With a squeak, the animal shook its head solemnly. The brawler figured the little critter was just the food service guy.

"Guess it's time for a game of 'Find-the-Squad-leader', huh?" Selphie asked pointedly as she tilted her head to the side. "If we split up, we'll cover more ground."

"But with only one person able to cast any spells, it'll be far too big of a risk," Quistis objected. "We'll stick together, if only long enough to supply us all with those belts."

But before they could determine whether they should head up to the top of the complex or down to the bottom, they heard another shrill squeak over the alarms. From the stairs above was another one of those little critters, and it looked almost excited to have found them. A couple of squeaks later, the food-serving critter squeaked back before bounding up the stairs, both creatures turning the corner and continuing up.

"I think we just got lucky," Zell said in shock as he watched the little creatures go.

"I say follow 'em!" Selphie cheered.

Quistis shrugged in response. "We haven't got any other options. Let's go."

They trio was about halfway up the stairs when they ran into their first obstacle. The nearest set of guards – two of them – were waiting for them at the top of the stairs. The little lions had missed detection somehow, but they apparently hadn't been nearly as lucky.

While Quistis and Selphie had stopped in their tracks, Zell had continued to charge on, taking the stairs two at a time before he propelled himself forward, shortening the distance between himself and the soldiers. The brawler leapt up with his foot extended and the soldier took the kick to the chest, the brawler landing into a crouch as the guard fell sprawled out onto his back from the force of the blow.

Behind him, he heard a shout of warning that was followed by a blast of fire that shot out from behind him. Zell was quick enough to back out of the way, but the guard wasn't. The weapon he was holding onto was reduced to melting metal that clung to his hands. The brawler watched as the guard tried to drop the weapon, crying out in pain and falling onto his own rear even as the weapon turned into an impromptu set of cuffs that held his hands bound together.

He noticed some movement from the corner of his eye but had little time to react as he caught sight of Quistis running forward, throwing out her booted leg and catching the guard in the jaw, laying him flat out onto the ground. He didn't stir, which meant she'd knocked him out cold.

Despite her accomplishment, however, Quistis frowned, even as Zell checked up on the other guard and found him in a similar condition. Too bad neither guard was wearing those utility belts. They'd have been all set otherwise. "I was sort of hoping they would have disabled the anti-magic field," Quistis said through a disappointed sigh. "Since one of us has one of those belts and all, it should've been rendered useless."

"Maybe they figured one person who uses magic is better than three?" Zell offered with a shrug. Quistis nodded as though she conceded the point, though her frown remained as it was. "Let's just keep goin'. If this place is as impenetrable as I think it might be, there'll be more guards on our trail in no time."


	7. Chapter V: Inside Job

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter V:  
Inside Job**

* * *

It had been a semi uneventful day in contrast to the week everyone had had. The staff at the Desert District Prison had believed that things were beginning to return to normal, especially after Seifer Almasy's departure. The high risk prisoners they had taken into custody were locked down with the leader being interrogated for the answers the Sorceress was looking for. As always, everything was perfectly under control.

Then one of the guards had requested assistance from the soldiers in order to deal with the rowdier prisoners – a request that wasn't new or rare by any stretch of the imagination. There had been many times when soldiers had been requested to go straighten out more of the rebellious prisoners and put them in their place. Barely took any time at all. The best part was there was never any means of following up by the government heads as Deling had always turned the other way, citing that the prisoners deserved their suffering for crimes committed.

Initially, they had been unsure of how the Sorceress would feel over these actions and had fortunately been lucky to avoid such an instance until now. But the Sorceress was busy with the takeover of Galbadia Garden, so such information would prove meaningless to her. Her knight had already left the Garden, so chances were she wouldn't receive notice of their actions either.

After all, what the Sorceress didn't know wouldn't kill them.

But then the alarms had sounded blaringly loud, causing those standing too close to quickly clasp their hands over their ears at the noise in order to protect delicate eardrums.

This was _not _a normal occurrence.

Mostly everyone – whether they were new, had been working at the prison for years or having started once the prisons first opened – was at a complete loss what to do. No one had ever gotten out of their cell, let alone set off the alarm before. Of course, they'd had drills so of course they'd known what to expect when the loud equipment went off, but the situation was far different when it was really truly happening.

It had been the soldiers who had sprung them into action, giving them the instruction they desperately needed to combat the situation. As they went about their movements, the drill instructions came back to them quickly and soon they were able to proceed without the prompting of the soldiers who had only recently been stationed to the prison, having seen action in a week than the staff had in years' time. Some set about to watching surveillance to guide their men to the vicinity of the breakout, while others rushed to the entrances and exits in order to prevent their escape from the prison itself. Most found themselves stationed at stair wells on different floors of division 3 – the part of the prison where the escape had taken place – to slow their progress and hopefully catch them before they could make it very far.

Stefan Jenkins was one such person who had been left in the surveillance room, running over the wall of cameras and alerting the soldiers to the escapees' progress. Communication's device in hand, he waited for any sign of the ones responsible for coming into his line of sight. Most of the activity was taking place on the opposite end of the room where another one of the guards watching the cameras was quickly guiding the soldiers to the location he had spotted the prisoners. From the sounds of it, they were headed for the top of the prison.

His stomach sank from the news but he shook himself of it, knowing that the thought he had was impossible. More than likely they were coming for their comrade. It was no secret that the ones arrested for the ruckus at the Parade last week were the ones they were currently on the lookout for and with their leader in interrogation that was more than likely the first place they would look. But they wouldn't get too far, not with the soldiers on the lookout for them and scattered about in areas meant to intercept them. SeeD or not, there was no way they were gonna get passed everyone, not even if they had someone who had gotten a hold of one of the belts. One SeeD was no match for the entire force of the prison thrown at them, not even if they were exceptionally experienced in the field.

But then he noticed something on the monitor at the far left of Level E before he paled slightly. The screen he was watching depicted a young man propped up against a wall of one of the interrogation rooms, head hung forward and body limp almost like some kind of ragdoll. It didn't look like he was going anywhere.

That was _not _how he had seen him the last time he'd looked.

He was just starting to form the questions in his head asking about such a predicament when he immediately spotted the cause and cursed. Those rag-tag Moombas who'd been brought to the prisons as extra labour were standing around like they owned the joint at some kind of party house. Having believed that the little shits were more or less hardworking animals, this appearance came as a surprise and he couldn't believe his eyes. Evidence enough from the screen told him that they were the ones responsible for releasing the SeeD from his bindings.

His licked his suddenly dry lips as he considered his options. The escaped prisoners were looking for this very guy, and here he was practically giftwrapped and waiting for his comrade to come haul him out of the prison. That couldn't be allowed to happen. Unfortunately they couldn't afford to remove the soldiers from their posts to investigate the situation and put the damned Moombas back in their place, not with the other prisoners running around. No, he would have to investigate personally, even if it meant leaving his post.

Stefan scowled thoughtfully, considering taking a look by himself but thought against it. Even with a taser he wasn't comfortable taking out the Moombas all by himself, especially when there were three of them. So far, he had never experienced a Moomba getting out of line when one of its friends was given the shock treatment, but he didn't want to be caught unawares without backup. So he gestured to two more guards nearby, showed them the situation before convincing them to come with him to take a look.

Climbing down the stairs, they entered a stretch of hall that curved due to the hole in the bottom of the floor and approached cell block F of Level E. Finding the door they were looking for, Stefan slid his key card through the slot, the metallic door sliding open with a _whoosh_ and allowing him access. The little monsters were outfitted with remote-controlled shock collars in case the situation went south, but if he had to he would resort to shooting them. His cohorts weren't any different.

Stefan was the first to step into the room, spotting the targets of his annoyance and signalling for the other two guards to follow as he laid eyes on the young man. The SeeD was in piss poor shape, something that had not surprised him. By then, everyone had heard about Charlie's temper tantrum and rumour had it he would be back in Deling in time for dinner with his family. No one had been surprised, knowing it would only be a matter of time before Charlie's hair-trigger temper got the best of him. The only surprise was that it hadn't happened sooner.

But then he spotted an empty bottle next to the youth and he realized the situation was even worse than he'd figured. Seemed as though the SeeD had passed out, but the physical injuries he'd sustained were gone, with no evidence they had been there to begin with. He had known there was a request to transport the prisoner back to medical in order to take care of the burns on his back, and that it had been so ordered _because _they didn't want to fix him up enough to give him the opportunity to escape. Their only saving grace was that the potion did not work on fatigue and shock, only useful against eternal wounds like cuts, scrapes, bruises and burns.

But it would help in the long run, eventually and gradually aiding in his recovery. They couldn't have that, not with him out of his bindings.

Signalling to his partners, he stepped forward and held up the taser to show the little monsters who was in charge as the pair of guards stepped forward to deal with the SeeD. But instead of shrinking back in fear as he had expected, he watched as they barred their teeth and growled, the sound coming deep from their throats in a stark contrast to their innocent sounding squeaks. He hadn't thought they'd known how to make the sound and was caught unawares somewhat. He couldn't figure out why they were growling until he noticed that their attention was not on him but on the other two guards.

Moombas, it would seem, were a lot like animals in the fact that they were very territorial. If they were protecting the SeeD like it appeared they were, then it meant that they viewed the guards – their employers and handlers – as the enemy. He had never seen one fight before, but he wasn't willing to find out just how strong they were and called out a warning to his partners, but it was too late. One of the two guards had grabbed the punk by the arm to hall him up, and that was all it took.

The Moombas leapt towards the unsuspecting man, knocking him into the wall behind him and causing the youth to fall back against the ground, unaware of what was happening around him. The other one made a similar mistake, though he didn't get a chance to reach the SeeD because he was knocked down before he could. Both men screamed, shattering the silence as the little monsters used their teeth and claws to bite and claw at them.

For a moment, Stefan could do nothing but stare before he finally charged towards the closest Moomba, set the taser on a medium setting and struck the create in the back of the neck. The low growling turned into a shrill yip as the voltage ran through its small system and, seconds later, it fell forward and onto the floor, twitching occasionally from the onslaught. It was the only sign that it was still alive.

Then he suddenly heard another growl from behind him. Just as he had begun to turn around, he was attacked, a set of claws digging into his skin and tearing through his uniform to draw blood. A startled cry escaped him as he reached back to pry the little beast off of him, but that only caused the pain to intensify. Then another one of them leapt forward and bit him through the foot, its teeth breaking through the material and hitting flesh.

He was brought to the floor and pulled his body into a circle as the Moombas tore and clawed at him. The preventative measure helped protect his vitals, but he still received flesh wounds for his efforts, could feel the blood running in rivulets that seemed never-ending. But then he was grabbed at from all sides and before he realized what was happening, he was dumped ceremoniously a few feet behind him. He didn't know what happened after that, because he had hit his head on the metal floor and stopped being aware of anything at all…

* * *

Despite the momentary delay, the trio continued to ascend the stairs and chasing after the lion-like creatures. They would stop occasionally in what she hoped would be giving them time to catch up, but having to stop and catch ones breath was most definitely not helpful in any respect. Still, they were only human. She could only wonder how those little creatures could have so much energy.

Free from the threat of soldiers – at least for the meantime – the former instructor's attention strayed onto her mental musings, more or less concerning their escorts. She couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of ploy. The creatures were obviously keepers working for the Galbadians, but why would they help them? Surely such a small act of kindness wouldn't be enough to betray their handlers for, would it?

In all honesty, Quistis wouldn't have been shocked to learn that this was just a set up to raise their hopes before forcing them back down. From everything she had heard during her earlier years as a SeeD in the field, Deling had been sadistic in his rule over Galbadia. Moreover most of the people who had been taken to this prison were political activists who had openly challenged the President's rule. She wouldn't have put it past him to play these games.

Though despite how short she'd been in power the Sorceress, from what little she had heard about her from Rinoa at least, had been very manipulative in her actions. She'd certainly played Deling like a fiddle before she'd killed him. Despite her protests that the Sorceress couldn't possibly have known of the plan from the get go, the Sorceress had more than likely used the stone-monster's attack on Rinoa to draw out the sniper team. So it would have been quite believable if the Sorceress had had a hand in this.

All the same, there was something itching at the back of her mind that told her these creatures were genuine in their attempts to assist them. For starters, if they were lying in wait, then why not out Zell when it had just been the pair of them trying to get their weapons back? Why assist the brawler in defending themselves instead of just siding with the guards? And while it had done absolutely nothing when they'd been faced with the two soldiers and the one awful guard, it could have easily sided with the enemy or, worse, fled to get some backup when it was made apparent of their weapons.

No, the former instructor was almost completely convinced that they were on their side. From the looks of it, the little creatures didn't seem all too thrilled with their keepers any more than they were. Maybe this was just a bit of payback for years of mistreatment.

_So the enemy of my enemy is my friend,_ the former instructor pondered mentally as she kept in stride with the others. It wasn't an easy task at all in keeping up with the younger girl. Because she was linked to her junctions, Selphie had double the endurance she normally did, and was always unconsciously pulling up ahead of both Quistis and Zell before she realised what she was doing. The constant calls to catch their breaths didn't lend any support to their situation.

Even now, after they had stopped for a moment before moving on, Quistis could see the brawler's face was a brilliant red from exertion. She could not fault him, knowing just from the heat flowing from her face that she was in much the same predicament. But that sort of happened when one ran up three long flights of stairs at a sprint and being forced to defend oneself when said flights housed guards who had been lying in wait to ambush them. While they had held their own, the pair had been forced to rely on Selphie's spell casting in order to do away with them quickly. So far, they'd been lucky enough to avoid running into any monster conflicts.

Unfortunately though, like Selphie, the little lion creatures were showing no signs of slowing down regardless of their encounters and during each of the skirmishes, they'd almost lost them.

Quistis winced as the stitch in her side sent a sharp pulsing pain through her body, and she gripped her hip tightly with her right hand as she tried to hold the agony at bay. They couldn't afford to stop again, not while there were guards hunting them down and there were monsters on the loose. _Especially_ not with the possibility of losing sight of the only thing that was willing to lead them to Squall, if that was what they were doing to begin with.

The former instructor couldn't help but think about how the Squad leader was doing and managed to reign in her thoughts before they could tread into deeper waters. He did not need for them to worry about the condition he would be in when they eventually found him. Forcing her imagination to take a back seat, she focused on concentrating on reaching their destination. They would deal with what they found when they did.

A suddenly shifting movement brought Quistis' attention to the forefront and as a result she caught sight of Selphie skidding into a clumsy stop that had her arms flailing on either side of her. Zell was far too slow in his reflexes and propelled Selphie off balance and knocked the pair onto the floor. Checking an exasperated sigh, the former instructor instead focused on dulling the stitch in her side, which seemed to intensify its screams of agony now that she had stopped moving altogether. With a wince she tried to hide, she was about to question the younger girl's action but stopped when something green launched itself at them from in front.

Selphie and Zell managed to recover from their fall almost easily because the pair acted quickly and dodged in opposite directions to avoid the flying thing. Unfortunately this left Quistis in the line of fire. Having spent two years in the filed before becoming an instructor, she did not freeze as most people would have but instead she propelled herself backwards and withdrew her chain whip from its holster in one fluid motion, ready to intercept.

The green thing turned out to be a monster, and she recognized it easily as it slammed both of its overgrown fists into the ground, causing small craters to form where the knuckles had impacted it. Wendigos were strange and disfigured creatures that reminded the former instructor of an ape or gorilla in not only appearance by from its hunched over stance, all four feet touching the ground comfortably. The only missing thing to this image was its head, which had actually been fused together with its collar bone causing its shoulders to be shaped around the cerebrum. They were vastly aggressive creatures who always charged into a fight regardless of what it was whenever it spotted potential prey. More than once she had witnessed injuries caused by those who recklessly rose to the challenge this great beast offered, and she had even watched as it splattered other life forms around it into messy unintelligible heaps as it used its fists like meat mashers.

But what Quistis had learned during past encounters with the monsters was that while Wendigos were powerful and it took a lot to take them down physically, they were horribly susceptible to status affecting para-magic, the kind used to restrict the senses and cause a vulnerability to an enemy that could easily be extorted. This rang true in the case of the ape, especially if they were blinded as they lacked the mental capacity to make up for the loss of one sense with the use of another, like the sense of smell.

Unfortunately for Quistis, she was bound by the anti-magic field and was thus unable to perform spells of her own, leaving her to (once again) rely on Selphie. With the flick of her wrist, Quistis caused the whip to fly up into the air where another shift of the weapon caused a loud cracking noise to overshoot the monstrous roar of the creature before them. "Selphie! Blind spell, now!"

She didn't have any time to check whether or not her instruction had been heeded however, because she suddenly took a hit to the stomach from the Wendigo, which knocked her off balance and pushed her back and away. She cried out in pain from the collision and cradled her stomach protectively before forcing herself back upright. She was then forced to raise her arms up and in front of herself to block another incoming punch, but the power behind the Wendigos arms forced her back against the wall beside the door leading back downstairs. Her feet flew out behind her and caused her to hit the ground lying on her aching stomach. In addition, her arms throbbed from connecting with the monster and her knees weren't that much better. She fully expected to find bruises forming when she inspected them later.

That was only if there was a later.

A shadow fell over her as she was struggling to recover and when she looked up, she saw the Wendigo claps its thick fingers together and prepare to slam both its hands into her skull. She waited for the impending act, only to be startled as Zell leapt onto the creature's back, causing it to abort its attack. The Wendigo made a deep rumbling noise and easily reached behind Zell in preparation to throw him off.

But before it could, a black cloud suddenly cascaded around the creatures face and sudden a dark inchor coated what was probably the Wendigo's eyes. It dropped Zell unceremoniously onto the ground as it clawed at them, probably attempting to remove the cause of its sudden blindness.

Zell pulled himself up into a crouching position and looked like he was about to attack it, but Quistis grabbed him by the hood of his sweat shirt, almost strangling him. "Don't be stupid. Run for it!"

Zell seemed to understand what she was saying and they both took off at a run. Selphie saw them coming before she darted up ahead of them and Quistis cursed when she realized they'd lost sight of the orange creatures again. However, halfway up the stair well, she heard Selphie shout something in indignation and figured that something must have happened.

She reached the top of the stairs before Zell – a miracle as her side still throbbed – and saw exactly what it was; the two creatures had been knocked down by the guards that had seemingly been waiting for them. The baton that had been in the man's holster was hovering about an inch above one of the creature's heads but was not connecting, even though it was evident from the vein that was straining against the skin that he was applying as much pressure as possible. Quistis suspected that a protect spell was responsible for the both the creatures' safety.

The time it took to take in the sight was barely a second before Quistis brandished her whip, lashing out in an attempt to keep them away from the creatures. Zell tore his way up the stairs before jumping up and manoeuvring himself so that his feet – both of them this time around – were aimed at the guards. Quistis ducked so that she didn't become a casualty and the brawler hit the guard with enough force to knock him into the ground. Quistis meanwhile lunged forward and slashed at the air, keeping the second goon distracted. She feigned an attack from above before changing tactics and allowing her whip to tangle itself around the guarding man's leg. With a tug of her arm, he fell flat onto his back.

Taking her opportunity, Quistis lunged forward, searching for the clasp that would undo the belt. With the last few guards they'd run into, they had come up empty in regards to the utility belts; otherwise having them destroyed inadvertedly by Selphie. As a result, she and Zell had been forced to deal with the lack of junctioned strength.

However, this time the former instructor planned to ensure that at least _one_ of them wouldn't be left out of luck. She was able to find the clasp quickly and the belt expanded its size. The man was just coming around when the former instructor pried the device from underneath him and was about to retaliate when Quistis drew in Selphie's attention.

Before she could say much more than the younger girl's name, Selphie assumed her casting stance and the mane was knocked off course when a thunder spell hit the ground from behind. He hit the ground with a horrible thud and groaned but did not try to get up. Quistis assumed that he was unable to.

She was about to throw the belt on when she heard a grunt from nearby; Zell had been thrown onto the ground, cradling his stomach from where he had been hit. Deciding that the brawler would benefit more from the added power than she would, she called for him in order to gain his attention before shouting, 'Catch!' and throwing the object into his direction like a Frisbee.

Zell caught on immediately, kicking the guard away and flipping backwards, catching the device by his leg as he landed into a crouch. He was just tucking his other foot inside of the round object when Quistis spotted the guard recovering. She jumped into the fray, if only to distract him long enough for Zell to put the belt on, cracking her whip into the air to keep them at bay.

She suddenly felt the air around her crackle with static and ducked out of the way as a Thundara spell lanced out, connecting with the guard Selphie had hit with a slow spell. Quistis frowned, knowing without even bothering to check that the device had just been short circuited and when she turned to look at her, Selphie grinned apologetically.

Before she could turn her attention back towards the fight, she felt the air grow heavy; it wasn't the same sensation that the Thundara spell had given off and she instantly recalled the incident in the Tomb of the Unknown King. Darting behind Selphie, she instructed the younger girl to cast a shell spell over their area surrounding them. The spell would only cover the two girls, with Zell being a few meters out of range, but there was very little point in protecting him anyway. With the brawler casting the spell, he would automatically be unharmed by the attack (or so she hoped anyway).

Then, from out of nowhere, a black ball of energy appeared, spawned by the dark energy that had begun to gather. When the ball grew in size, a red and black creature descended from it, dripping with the black inchor and leaving puddles of it on the floor beneath it. An instant later, the creature extended its long leathery wings that were reminiscent to that of a bat, its thin build more intimidating than any muscle coated human could ever hope to achieve.

The Guardian of Gravity and Darkness, Diablos, then reached up with his left hand, the appendage cupped as though he were holding a small ball. The large sphere of energy began to dissipate, as though it were becoming a part of the GF. It changed its shape, taking on a spear-like weapon before the GF grinned ferally and swooping down above them, instantly charging after the two guards. The guard that had been slowed was obviously not as quick as his partner; he was easily picked up by the sharp talons of the GF just as he was beginning to recover from the spell. The Guardian Force glowered at the man with what appeared to be disdain before the poor guard was thrown through the gaping hole that seemed to appear on every floor. Quistis wasn't in a hurry to see just how far the man would fall.

Diablos grinned balefully as it swooped down yet again, this time priming its spear of dark energy as though it were a jousting match and charged after the loan guard, who was running and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Best not to stick around to see what happens," Quistis offered. Zell was just running over towards them, having been stunned still at the sudden appearance of the Guardian, despite being the one who summoned him. Quistis could hardly blame him. After all the last time they had encountered the GF, it had tried to kill them after having been disturbed from its long sleep. And she didn't necessarily blame the Guardian Force either, because if she had been stuck inside a lamp for who knew how long, Quistis knew she would be pretty hostile herself.

The creatures didn't waste any time, clambering back up onto their paws and darting up the next set of stairs. The trio didn't miss a beat in following after them.

* * *

"It's those Hyne-damned Moombas!" Marshal shouted in outrage as he watched the events unfold on the security monitor. Even as the devil the SeeDs had summoned chased Ramón towards the hole as it attempted to chase after him, he couldn't help but keep an eye on the two Moombas that were leading the prisoners further and further up the stairs.

He knew exactly where they were headed and who they were looking for and when he swivelled around to give his order to call more security to guard the E level, he was stunned to discover that there was no one sitting in front of the cameras. "Where the hell is Stefan?" Marshal all but roared as he took in the room. The increased volume of his voice had caused everyone else in the room to jump and as he looked around he noticed that two others were missing.

He cursed again before grabbing his communicator to give the order himself when he spotted something on Stefan's cameras that turned his blood cold. He watched the row of cameras that overlooked cellblock F and noted how three Moombas were standing around the SeeD who was _not _in his restraints and, in another camera close by, how three guards lay unconscious in another cell.

Obviously the SeeD couldn't have been responsible, given the state he was in from the feeds he was looking at and he growled low under his breath when he realized who else it could have been.

"Get the dart guns out," Marshal called to his crew, who did precisely that. "And get the damned key for Cell 3. Those Moombas think they have the upper hand, but they've got another thing coming if they think they're smarter than…"

"Uh, sir?" One of the guards said suddenly, interrupting the man.

The tone of his voice was more than a little disconcerting and it put Marshal on guard. He turned around to tell him to just spit it out when he saw it himself; there was another Moomba standing at the door, seemingly inspecting the security card that was attached to the collar around its throat. It had an inquisitive expression on its features that Marshal didn't like but before he could figure out what was what, the Moomba squeaked in that annoyingly loud voice of its and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, which was followed by an equally loud click.

_Oh fuck me…_ Marshal thought to himself in alarm as he and the other two guards ran over to try and pry the door open, even as the rest of the room was turning around to see what the fuss was about. He wedged his fingers as far into the crack between the door as they would fit before pulling with all the strength he possessed, only to fall flat on his ass as he lost his balance and fell backwards. The other two were still hard at work, and judging by the disgruntled shocks of surprise and outrage, Marshal knew that the situation was dawning on the rest; they'd been locked in to prevent them from interfering with the Moombas plan.

_When I get out of this,_ Marshal thought darkly, _I'm eating those things for lunch._

* * *

When the group reached the top of the stairs, he'd felt like collapsing, but knew that they still had a ways to go. Despite reconnecting with his junctions, his legs still burned from the constant running; probably because he hadn't exactly started out with the advantage. Quistis was downright red in the face, gasping as she'd been forced to keep up with them, and the brawler was sure that it was just her willpower alone that was keeping her up on her feet. Only Selphie looked fine though even she was slightly winded. He jacked it up to her having worn her belt longer.

Zell took a look around at their surroundings. There was an overhanging that looked like it could seal off the stairwell from the particular floor they had just reached and while the corridor was narrower than all the other floors it was still big enough to fit all three of them side by side, but only barely. The walls were darker than the ones downstairs, but at least it was a difference in appearance. Somehow the brawler just knew that their previous surroundings were going to be burned into his memory for a while, and no amount of head trauma was going to change that.

A few feet ahead of him was a wall that seemed to stop their trail abruptly, but after taking a look to the left, the brawler realised that the path continued on. He signalled for them to continue before taking off at a jog. Selphie and Quistis followed after him, the latter slightly slower than the others, while the little critter and its friends continued on ahead.

The path continued on until they reached a gaping hole not unlike the ones along the lower floors, while a set of stairs led up and the trail continued further. The brawler could make out the start of doors even further on.

"Which way do we go now?" Selphie asked. Quistis was bent forward, her hands resting on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath and couldn't answer her.

"I'm guessing up," Zell said with a verbal shrug. "In the movies, the bad guys always interrogate the good guys at the highest point in the building. It's to make sure they think twice before jumpin' out of a window to safety."

The brawler started up the stairs as Selphie shrugged in response before following his lead. But halfway up, he stopped suddenly for two reasons. The first was that the little critter had returned – having already gone further ahead while the SeeDs had tried to get their bearings – and was squeaking incessantly. Selphie had whirled around in alarm, probably guessing that the enemy had caught up.

Zell, on the other hand knew better; the second reason he'd stopped in his tracks was due to the rather large steel door that bared his path. The brawler assumed it had something to do with their escape attempt, and figured they were sealing off the parts of the building that they could use to their advantage.

Just as he was turning around, he saw the little critter dart down the hall towards the rooms, and after a moment Quistis followed after him, having caught her breath. Zell and Selphie exchanged glances before doing the same. But it didn't take them long to reach the door; when they did Zell took a step back in shock while Quistis gasped and Selphie squeaked (sounding much like the little creatures).

Standing in front of one of the doors was at least a dozen of those little critters; some were jumping up and down in their excitement, others were running around but all of them squeaked at once, the noise echoing off the walls around them so loudly that the brawler was surprised that they hadn't alerted the guards.

But even more surprising was that one of the creatures stepped forward and pounded on the door with one of its paws twice. Zell had assumed they would have gotten a key for the place, but it didn't look that way. Just when he figured they would have to bust it down, the door slid open before them, allowing them entrance.

The SeeDs exchanged glances between one another before one of the creatures started urging them forward. Three of them ran inside while the others stayed out, almost like they were guarding the place. With another exchange of puzzled glances, the trio followed them inside.

They were walking slowly through the threshold, but when they took in the sight of a familiar figure propped up against the wall, their pace quickened until they were surrounding him. Squall looked worse for wear. It appeared as though they'd reached him far too late to stop whatever interrogation method that had been used on him. Actually, he appeared to be more tired than hurt. Judging by the machines in the far corner and the wiring on the wall overhead (not to mention the restraints and the outline of the wall), Zell guessed that electrocution had been involved.

Taking in his appearance again as they made sure he was alright, Zell noted that the elder boy was shirtless, and that there was absolutely no trace of the hole in his chest that Rinoa had described, the one that had been caused by a large spear made of ice. It still amazed him that the Squad leader was still alive instead of lying all corpse-like in a wooden box somewhere and he amounted that to luck. Whether it was good or bad, only time would tell them.

Even now the Squad leader seemed out of sorts, though for the most part he appeared to be unharmed. Zell spotted a bottle lying on the floor a little ways away and figured the little guys must've given him a potion or something for them. But as for the after effects of being electrocuted (repeatedly by the looks of it), it was going to take more than cure spells to fix.

Movement from his left drew his attention and he saw Selphie fiddling with the belt she'd stolen off of Biggs earlier. "What're you doing?"

"Giving my belt to Squall," Selphie said as she wrestled with the clasp. Finally it expanded and she raised the hoola-hope sized object up over her head. "We can't treat whatever happened, but we can ignore it for now until we can stop and catch our breaths for a while."

"Will you be alright without it?" Quistis asked curiously.

Selphie grinned in response. "I can just steal another one."

* * *

He heard voices.

They were fairly close but through the fog he could barely register them, let alone discern who they were or what they were saying. It all just seemed to be background noises to him, and he found himself almost succumbing to the black river of unconsciousness that his exhaustion was guiding him to.

The strange creatures that had woken him up earlier on had stuck around until he'd mercifully passed out again. The potion had helped numb the pain of the external injuries he'd sustained, but he was still exhausted from the torture Seifer and that one guard had put him through. It was even too much effort to open his eyes. If that guard was still around, he'd have to be careful of what he said and did. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but he hadn't counted on surviving the encounter and the same trick was most definitely not going to work a second time.

Just was he was beginning to drift off once more, he felt something grab a hold of his arms – first the left then the right – however he was just too tired to resist the action and, as though he were some kind of limp rag doll, he was hefted up into a standing position before being left to lean against the wall. The grip was different than when the strange creatures had touched him; it seemed almost more like that of a humans.

Whatever the case, he felt someone pulling him away from the wall and a second later he could sense something else passing over his arms and down towards his midsection before settling at his waist. An instant later, whatever-it-was tightened, sitting secure at his waist and a moment later he could suddenly feel his rapport with his two Guardian Forces reform. The additional strength he received from both the thunder bird Quezacotl and the earth elemental Brothers were enough to take away his exhaustion and he became alert of his surroundings, gasping at the increase of his strength he received.

He snapped his eyes open, blinking in order to allow his vision the opportunity to focus properly, noting that three blobs of indistinguishable colours were seemingly bobbing right before him. After a moment, everything came back into focus and he recognised the rest of his team. Quistis and Zell had been the ones to help him up and Selphie was poking her face into his, almost as though making sure he was still alive. He couldn't put any more distance between hers and his; his head was as far back as the wall behind him would allow, and even then she was invading his personal space.

Selphie smiled suddenly and leaned back, clapping her hands together in her excitement. "Welcome back to the world of the living."

"Selphie, that was just corny," Zell snorted.

"How do you feel?" Quistis asked, ignoring the two of them as they started to squabble.

Squall wasn't sure what to make of it but he was fine. Actually he was better than that. All the aches and pains he'd been feeling since he'd first woken up in that cell had faded into the background. He could only guess that the GF's were responsible for that, but there was an anti-magic field that was dampening them. But seeing the others made him think that perhaps the field had been lifted because of their escape.

His confusion must have leaked to his facial expression because Quistis smiled knowingly. "The guards and soldiers in this place are wearing belts that provide protection from the anti-magic field. Selphie liberated one off a soldier and we used that advantage to escape."

"I found another one along the way," Zell said, indicating at his own waist. The belt was very ordinary looking, but it had a metallic gleam that seemed to suggest it wasn't at all what it appeared to be. "And Selphie gave you hers so that we didn't have to carry you out of here."

"I can just find another one," Selphie shrugged apathetically. "There're tons of soldiers around. It shouldn't be _that_ hard."

Despite knowing that the others had managed to escape from wherever it was that they were being held, there was something bothering him about their numbers. There should have been six of them in total, himself included, but there were only four of them in the room. "Where's..."

"Rinny and Irvine?" Selphie supplied helpfully. Squall nodded, signalling for her to continue. "Well, Irvine pulled a runner. He didn't get arrested like the rest of us, so we don't know where he is now. Rinoa was with us when we all got caught, but the guards came in and took her somewhere earlier. Zell couldn't find her weapon when he went to the lock up to liberate ours."

"Speaking of which," Zell said, fiddling with some kind of a strap that Squall hadn't initially spotted. An instant later, something was tossed in his direction and the Squad leader caught the handle of it easily. He recognized it as soon as he'd caught it; it was his weapon. It must have been confiscated along with his other personal affects when he'd first been brought here.

Squall inspected the weapon for any imperfections (there hadn't been any the last time he'd seen it), but was interrupted when Zell spoke up again. "Hey, Squall? You're always Laguna, right? Did you come here as Laguna in the Dream World?"

Squall frowned thoughtfully; with the sudden escape from very unlikely sources, the dream world had gone right out of his mind. Thinking about it now though, he couldn't recall seeing any prisons where he had been and he shook his head in response. "No."

"Aw..." Selphie groaned, hanging her head dejectedly. Squall raised an eyebrow.

"So Squall doesn't know how to get out of here either," Quistis said with a sigh. "Zell came here as Ward in the dream world."

"But it turns out all he did was mop the floors," Selphie said as glared at the brawler, who winced in response.

"So Squall," Quistis said, trying to dissolve the tension. Squall resisted the urge to slap himself in the forehead at his team's antics. "How did you get up here in the first place? Zell overheard a group of soldiers mentioning that medical was closer to the bottom of this place."

Instead of verbally answering, he pushed himself away from the wall and silently instructed the others to follow him. They did so somewhat uncertainly and soon enough they were making their way down the hallway, passing other rooms along the way until they reached a large empty space in front of the stairs that led up. He pointed over towards a large metallic looking cage with a hook fused into its roof, wordlessly answering the former instructor's question. The only reason they were able to tell where the hook ended was because of the colouring; the hook was a dull orange and everything else were much darker in colour.

"What is it?" Selphie asked as she tipped her head to the side. Quistis stared at it in wonderment.

"It's a mechanical crane," Zell answered before Squall could. "It looks like it's designed to drag up large objects through the hole in the floor and transport them to other locations. If Squall's cell was detachable, it'd explain how he got up here. Hell, the guards wouldn't drag him up all those flights of stairs."

"Exactly," Squall said with a shrug.

"So wait a minute," Selphie said as she walked over to the hole and looked down. "So this hole really _does_ reach the bottom! Hey, I know!" She whirled around, clapping her hands together in her enthusiasm. "If we jumped all the way down, we'd be outta here!"

"Go ahead," Quistis said as Squall shook his head in response, "if you want to end up like a pancake."

"Good point," Selphie said, looking thoughtfully up at the ceiling before clapping her hands as she came up with another solution. "Okay, maybe we don't _jump_ all the way down, but if we shimmied down using float spells..."

"Those spells are far too unpredictable," Quistis argued with the shake of her head. "We couldn't rely on them to get us all the way to the bottom without having to recast. And only two of us can utilize magic spells right now."

Selphie stared back at the instructor thoughtfully and Squall knew what she was thinking about. They had utilized float spells before in the way she was suggesting. She'd cast the spell on herself, Squall and Zell when they were trying to escape from the Black Widow machine spider that they'd encountered during the Field Exam. Had it not been for that spell, he was fairly sure that they would have been left behind that day.

"There's still a way we can use that hole..."

Everyone turned to regard Zell, who looked like he had come up with an idea too. "We can use the crane to get to the very bottom. It'd be a lot safer and easier to use than magic spells."

"But we don't even know how to operate it," Quistis pointed out.

"I do," Zell said, and the others exchanged puzzled glances. "When I was Ward, I saw him use this machine loads of times, so I could operate it to get to the bottom. But the only problem is that you need one person to work from the control room and another to operate it on the inside."

"So who stays up here?" Selphie asked curiously.

"I'll stick around and give you guys' instructions," Zell volunteered. "Besides, I'm wearing the belt, right? If I run into trouble I'll just fight my way through. It'll be fine."

"What other option do we have?" Squall asked. The girls exchanged glances, with Quistis shrugging her shoulders. "Then I guess we'll go with that. Do you know how you're going to get out?"

"If worse comes to worse, I'll mug a guard for their clothes and let them lead the way." Zell said with a grin. "Relax. It'll be cool."


	8. Chapter VI: A Fearsome Pair

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter VI:  
A Fearsome Pair**

* * *

Despite the knowledge that there had been no guards present, both from what he had witnessed and what the rest of his team had reported once they'd been reunited, he was still uneasy about their situation. While they were fortunate enough to have regained their weapons (Zell had already returned his), the inability for half of their number to cast spells worried him. The number of guards and soldiers who filled the building alone was enough to cause some pause in anyone's resolve. The chances of becoming overwhelmed by the odds and thus suffering reprehension where strong and he wasn't fool enough to believe otherwise.

But instead of dwelling on the notion that the odds were vastly stacked against them, Squall forced himself to focus on the objective. Regardless of their chances, the situation was already improving. For starters, he was no longer suspended against the wall being tortured by guards who asked puzzling questions and electrocuted him for not knowing the answers, and he was able to commune with his junctions once more. Even though the rest of his team still needed to acquire those belts, it was at least a step in the right direction.

So shelving his thoughts, at least for the meantime, they had set to work and managed to get the crane up and running. Even the strange creatures who had released his bindings had been able to assist them, because they were able to open up the metal plank that barred their path to the control room. Between Zell and Selphie, they had managed to get the crane operational and as soon as they were assured that everything was ready to go, Squall, Quistis and Selphie had returned downstairs and entered the machine.

The size of the interior was an unexpected surprise when they'd first eyed the machine. Far more spacious than what Squall would have credited it, it still matched the mental image he had perceived upon looking at it. Despite the fact that the three of them had enough room to stand comfortably, the metallic floor seemed to curve down towards the centre if only to distribute the weight it was carrying easier. The walls surrounding them were covered in monitors that commented on the machine's status. Beneath the front window that was currently providing a view of the wall was a terminal that stretched the width of the room. It was covered with all sorts of controls that could've had a multitude of purposes.

"I sure hope Ward operated this thing from in here in the 'Dream World'," Selphie commented as she saw the array of buttons.

Squall mentally agreed with her. If they didn't know which controls to press, they might accidentally set off another alarm instead of taking them down to the bottom of the prison. It all depended on Zell and how well he could remember the instances that had taken place in the Dream world.

He sighed to himself mentally as he realized what he was thinking. It was an absolutely ridiculous thought.

Before anyone else had any time to make any additional comments though, the communications system came to life, filling the cabin with a crackling array of static until finally Zell's voice transmitted through the noises clearly. "_Yo, you guys can hear me?_"

"Hiya, Zelly! Loud and clear!" Selphie said, jumping up and down and waving her arms. Squall and Quistis were forced to step away from her before one of the flailing appendages could hit either of them. There wasn't _that _much room after all.

"_Awesome_," Zell said, sounding fairly proud of himself. "_Do you guys see a control panel in front of you_?"

"Yes," Squall answered, immediately stepping towards it. "Which buttons do we press?"

"_I've got most of the controls handled on this end_," Zell responded, his tone betraying his confidence. "_All you guys have to do is push a yellow button on the main panel. It's the biggest one of them all, so you shouldn't miss it."_

Squall looked over the controls and noticed the exact button Zell was talking about. He pressed it down with his thumb before releasing it. "Done. Now what?"

"_Just gimme a minute to do the rest…_" Zell said and there was another pause before the machine suddenly shifted with a loud clank and started descending. "_There. I'll meet you guys at the bottom._"

"Kinda reminds you of the lift in the Communication Tower, huh Squall?" Selphie chirped happily.

Squall opted not to comment, leaving the question hanging in the air. The only thing on his mind was that they were so close to freedom and yet there were so many variables set against them that it almost seemed too easy…

* * *

Silence filled the air, fuelling the tension that filled the room immensely more than what would have been had it been filled with people shouting and yelling.

A fair number of the trapped guards were anxious and shifted uncomfortably every few seconds, their mouths pressed together as though afraid to break through the tense silence. It was a stark contrast to the chaos that had broken out the instant everyone had figured out what had happened to them. Despite the knowledge that each member of the security task team had key cards that allowed them access to every place in the prison, they were unable to use them because the Moomba who had locked them inside had done something to the card reader slot on the side. No matter how they slid their cards into the slot, a dull red light and the annoyingly blaring _beep _indicated they were not accepted each and every damn time.

It had been nearly an hour since they'd been locked up, and the first twelve minutes had been spent alternating assaults on that door. Between all the guards present, there had been charging, kicking and just full out trying to push the door open without any success. When that proved to be a vast waste of time, they had spent a large remainder of the time comparing the tools and equipment they had on hand to break down the door.

Why three guards had demolition charges on them when they were on security detail, Marshal would never know. But currently, asking them about it was the very last thing on his mind. That would come later.

Now, Marshal and another guard named Pascal were putting the finishing touches on the charge they'd placed on the bottom half of the door. The first two charges were positioned across from each other on the upper corner and the hope was all three charges would be enough to blast through the steel door that blocked their exit. Because there were no hinges on the door, they hadn't been able to determine the weakest point on the door, though Marshal was banking on the idea that three simultaneous hits in three separate places would be enough to bust it open.

While Pascal, Marshal and a few others concentrated their efforts on forcing their escape, the rest of the staff was busy at work, headsets on as they instructed the soldiers – very quietly so as to not disturb those who were handling the explosives – where to expect the prisoners and positioning them like pieces on a chess board as they prepared for the enemy's next move.

The original plan was to send a team of guards to intercept the SeeDs coming from their cells, but by the time a team had been mobilized, the teenagers had already exited the cell. It hadn't taken long to figure out what they were thinking when they were spotted inspecting the crane, and Marshal had cancelled the operation. Now, there were a group of guards heading down to the bottom to meet with the youths when they arrived. As for the one manning the controls, well, there ways to deal with him.

How they even knew how to operate them was a mystery to him, but that could wait until later.

Despite the knowledge that things were still under their control, Marshal knew that everyone in the room was growing stir-crazy. He couldn't very well blame them; they'd been cooped up for the last half hour. Not only was it difficult to remain calm being trapped in a room with this much people, but it could've been enough time for the prisoners to escape.

Too bad the little punks were morons. The Desert District Prison had a reputation for being the most high-level security prison out there. Since its construction twenty years ago, not a single prisoner had ever managed to escape from its intense structure. There was no way in hell that was going to change with some snot nosed punks.

And aside from the prison's reputation, their lives were on the line. Who knew what the Sorceress would do to them all if her precious prisoners managed escape?

It wasn't worth it to find out.

So with the final preparations in place, Marshal backed away from the door, fingering the detonator that he was handed. Just a couple more seconds and they'd be free…

* * *

The brawler leaned forward, his palms pressed flat against the platform as he eyed the screen, not daring to turn away or even blink as he watched the others progress down to the lower level of the prison. He couldn't hold back the sigh of relief when the crane had started up but he had held back a second breath as he eyed the monitor, begging for the machine's status to remain in the green until the others reached the bottom. Despite how he would feel if they dropped like a stone, he knew they'd kill him if he messed it up. If they managed to survive, they would be forced to climb down all those stairs.

Zell knew _he _wouldn't be happy if forced to scale them all again.

_Speaking of,_ Zell thought as he took one last look at the monitors in front of him, _I better start heading back down or I'll be left behind for sure._

Still, he wanted to be absolutely certain that the crane operated perfectly until it hit rock bottom. They absolute last thing anyone needed was for the rest of the team to plummet and become SeeD style pancakes for his fuck up.

But then there was a loud blast that came from behind that was followed closely by a heavy _thud _that echoed in the silence that was left in the aftermath. He had been so shocked that his hand had immediately flown up to his head and he'd whirled around in surprise, automatically falling into a crouch, the others forgotten. The noise had sounded like it had come from pretty close by. _Really _pretty close by.

It was for one long moment that Zell contemplating leaving his post and investigating the sound, despite his earlier musings. In the end though, his curiosity won out over his better judgement and he proceeded towards the sound, wondering if maybe the sound had been a pipe exploding.

Though he mentally reminded himself that the explosion was a little loud to have been something so simple, but weirder things had happened.

As the brawler neared the corner that would take him to the source (hopefully), he heard a squeak from behind him. Turning to investigate, he spotted the little creatures who had accompanied him to the room bouncing up and landing back down on their hind paws and shaking their heads, looking really freaked out. Zell didn't know exactly _why _they were concerned but it was enough to put him on edge. Maybe _now _it was time to heed his earlier considerations and start running to catch up with the rest of his team.

But by the time he'd made up his mind, he was too late.

All the brawler had done was blink and when he opened his eyes he found himself totally surrounded by the guards who had seemingly materialized out of nowhere. Weapons were pointed in his direction, held steady and primed in case he so much as sneezed funny.

Before he could even conjure up the question of where these guards had come from, he spotted smoke coming from the direction he had been heading in. He also noticed a piece of metal that lay on the floor a couple metres away, but it also appeared to continue down past the corner and out of view.

Assuming that the metal was actually a door, and putting that piece of information together with the suddenly reappearing guards as well as the sudden anxiousness of the little creatures was enough to draw a picture for the brawler. It at least explained why they didn't receive any resistance upon reaching Squall's cell.

Despite his precarious situation, he couldn't help but throw them a bemused look, including a crooked grin. "Really?" He asked, his question directed towards the monster.

"Don't move or we'll shoot!" The guard at the front practically snarled, probably having misinterpreted the target of his question. Zell assumed he was the leader, knowing from his (brief) experience in the field that the one who talked the most was more than likely the guy in charge. Up until this very point, Squall had been the only one to disprove this theory.

But despite being at point blank range of a weapon that was primed at his forehead, Zell wasn't worried. He'd already guessed that at some point, something like this was bound to happen, though to be honest he hadn't expected it to happen this soon. All the guards, while doing the smart thing and not taking an eye off him, were sneering in his direction, almost like they thought they had the situation in the bag. Zell was alone and he didn't have any weapons on him, so the guards must've figured this was an easy capture.

It was too bad that, in the brawler's case, being unarmed didn't actually mean he was defenceless.

Unfortunately, martial arts weren't going to cut it on its own. The best he could do if he were to act recklessly would be to take out a couple of guards until the remaining guys gunned him down. Zell had no desire to become a human depiction of Swiss cheese and he forced himself to calmly take in his predicament, watching and waiting for an opening. But he still had a trump card up his sleeve and, from the connection he had with him, Diablos was very nearly done with his hunting trip.

Even now, as he stood in the centre of armed goons, he could sense the dark energy that embodied the GF's presence, its very _existence, _growing closer and thus more powerful. The GF was taking its time to enjoy the slaughter, and it reminded the brawler of some of the killers in the horror movies he liked to watch, but it still seriously creeped him out all the same. In fact, the GF scared him so damn much that he would have been fine if Diablos decided to just stay out of his head on a permanent basis, just as long as he didn't mistake Zell for the enemy (again).

Now, it was time for Diablos to earn his keep.

So his crooked grin darkened as he resolved to wait them out, knowing that in the end the guards were gonna get what was coming to them in the end and he wouldn't have to lift a finger. He shifted his stance and tilted his head to the side, but the guards (who didn't seem to like it) cocked their weapons, the clicking noises shattering the silence and causing the teenager to flinch suddenly. "I said 'don't move'!"

"I heard you the first time," Zell said, but the words held no heat. They were more like a verbal shrug. "But I don't think _he'll,_" he inclined his head to signal further ahead, _"_like it if you shoot me."

"Who?" The lead guard snapped, and he fell for the ruse and turned marginally so that he could look behind him.

The momentary distraction was enough for him and, with reflexes he shouldn't have possessed, Zell grabbed the closest gun and jerked upward. The guard, startled by the sudden act, opened fire, the rounds shooting and passed Zell's head and hitting a couple of guards who were in the crossfire. When he'd raised the weapon even hire up and out of his face, the brawler hauled off and punched the man in the face, forcing him back into three other guards who were behind him.

The action had taken maybe a second to execute but once that second was over the remaining guards opened fire on the brawler with every intention of striking him down. Quickly concentrating on his spell, Zell threw his arm out in front of him and watched as a blue domed shield formed out of nowhere and took all the hits for him. The bullets lanced off the protect spell with an audible _ping_ before hitting the ground harmlessly. The brawler had expected that would happen, having learned from the Garden that the harder one concentrated on the spell the stronger the spell would become. He had heard of instances where the blasts would ricochet off the spell and back towards their target.

Zell wasn't nearly skilled enough to accomplish the feat and barely relied on the use of para-magic at all outside of extreme situations such as this one. He just felt it was enough to be able to cast the damned spell, and would come in handy when he needed it. So far, he wasn't wrong in this thought.

But then he heard a scream coming from the lower levels, a scream that managed to cut over the sound of automated gunfire, and he knew without looking, without actually seeing that Diablos had returned. The sounds had unnerved the guards because they exchanged nervous glances between one another, even as their leader ordered them in a shaky voice to finish the martial artist off.

Before they could act though Diablos was suddenly there, almost like he'd just appeared out of nowhere. It was much like when he'd first encountered the GF in the tomb, where it had seemingly materialized behind one of the Armadodos that had cornered them with the Blorbas before running it through with its arm as though the shell meant nothing. In the GF's hand was the spear he had composed out of the gravity magic it controlled and slowly and almost deliberately he licked the blood off it. It was a damned scary sight to behold, watching a creature who looked like a devil locking blood off its spear. It only intensified the creep factor when Diablos grinned evilly at everyone within the vicinity.

It took all of Zell's willpower not to piss himself at the sight and attempting to appear calm even though his heart was trying to hammer a path right out of his ribcage was even more difficult. He was seriously considering killing Quistis for even _suggesting _that he take the stupid GF from the tomb. Whether or not she was a former instructor didn't matter.

An instant later, Diablos seemed to grow bored of the creepy action and raised the spear up into the air before slashing from his left towards the right. The spear got purchase, rending through three of the guards who were standing in shell shock, simply caught watching as the monster made its move. The guards were dead before they hit the ground in pieces, causing sickening _squelching _noises to fill the otherwise silent room.

Fortunately for them, the little furry creatures had backed off the instant Diablos had appeared in the room. Currently though, they were pressed up against the wall, looking almost as though they were trying to disappear into it. They were trembling in fear and though there were minute little squeaking sounds coming from them as they whimpered at the monster before them, Zell could tell by how very little their mouths moved that they were trying not to draw the GF's attention towards them. At the very sight, the blonde fighter felt like a complete heel, his intention never having been to terrify the little guys. No amount of therapy would help them erase this gruesome visage from their minds, of this Zell was convinced since he too would be having nightmares for the next little while at least and he knew what he was seeing now was the cause.

The guards who had either been missed or were standing behind the tattooed brawler were shocked stupid, long having since lowered their weapons. Zell himself had lowered his own arm and had long since released his hold over the protect spell, knowing that he was the least of their concerns. Their attention was solely fixed onto the GF, and the brawler doubted very much that he was to be apprehended anytime soon. The lead guard was standing in front of the brawler, though he could make out the man opening and closing his mouth like a fish. It kind of reminded him of Selphie when she'd first learned she'd passed the disastrous Field Exam that had been a nightmare in itself. He managed to resist the urge to snort, fearing that it would draw the attention back towards him.

Instead, he watched with a morbid fascination as Diablos raised his spear once again. The guard, having just witnessed what had happened to his own men wisely ducked down low to the ground as the GF raised its arm into the air. Zell mirrored the action, not fully believing he would be immune to the friendly fire that would ensue should he stay standing.

Unfortunately for the lead guard, Diablos wasn't near as brain-dead as most of the monster the staff had let loose throughout the prison. Adjusting his grip on the shaft of the weapon, Diablos thrust it fiercely at the lead guard. Zell almost threw up on the spot as the GF took pure delight from the sight of the weapon skewering right through the man. The sight itself was like something from one of the 'Gore Porn' Horror movies he watched, with the blade rending through flesh and muscle almost effortless, throwing blood out to stain the metal floor beneath their feet, just inches in front of him. It was a miracle that the spray hadn't flown far enough to splatter along the front of the brawler.

The paralyzed guards behind Zell all cried out in shock and horror and made to raise their weapons in retaliation. Terrified out of his own mind, Zell focused once again, hoping with all of his will that he could pull off another protect spell that would shield him from the attack that would cut the soldiers into ribbons.

As he was processing the will for the spell, Zell was surprised when he noticed the sight of gleaming yellow eyes from the edge of his peripheral vision. Before he could properly register the meaning behind the gaze, Diablos thrust both palms outward and suddenly the soldiers were engulfed in a dark energy wave that swamped the platoon ahead of him.

For the second time in the span of five minutes, the brawler was left with an intense sensation of his jaw hanging open in shock. He watched like a slack-jawed moron as the gravity wave made it virtually impossible for the men to keep standing let alone raise their weapons into firing position. But just as quickly as the shock had taken hold of him did it roll off his shoulders like water and he grinned broadly as an idea began to form in his mind.

Rushing forward, Zell leapt up into the air as he reached the very edge of the wave, feeling like he was a lead weight being weighed down by a very powerful magnet. He had no delusions whatsoever that he was a physics buff or a genius for that matter. He would never be in a similar league as Seifer or Quistis or even Squall. But he did know enough to get by, which was why he wasn't surprised by the sensation of being pulled towards the ground.

Deliberately using the lack of gravity to propel himself further across the gap, Zell kicked out with both his feet and smashed into the one guard who was at the very front of the platoon. The motion forced the man to fall back into the rest of his platoon in a fashion that was similar to bowling. Having pushed himself up as much as he could with the increased gravity having used the guard as a stepping stone, the brawler propelled himself as close to the ceiling as he could manage with the weight of the gravity pulling down on hard toned muscles. It was only because of his junctions that he got even remotely close and when he was able to reach far enough Zell grabbed a hold of a bar and held on as tightly as he could, all the while his shoulder felt as though it were being pried from its socket.

Swallowing a curse of pain Zell persevered and used the assistance of the pipe to flip up onto the service girder that the engineers used to reach the arc lights above. As soon as he was on his stomach, it felt as though the gravity was trying to pull him down. His check hit metal with a painful _thunk_ and he bite back a curse as he pushed himself back up using arms that felt heavy and weighed down.

He barely managed to pull himself up onto his knees and it took a little longer for him to get back up onto his feet but it was all a matter of balance after that, making sure that he calculated any shift he needed to make and distributed the balance evenly after that. Having always prided himself on his balancing skills, Zell couldn't stop the grin from forming as he formulated his next move. Spying the hole that the crane had descended from, Zell calculated the distance mentally before turning his attention to Diablos.

The brawler had heard of instances where GF's and the people they were junctioned to worked so well together it was almost like they read each other's mind, that their cooperation was so fluid that the amount of communication needed to vocalize their actions was minimal at best. Zell knew he'd only been junctioned to Diablos for the better half of two weeks, and half of that time the rapport had been dampened by the anti-magic field. There was no guarantee that Diablos would even understand him in the first place and if that was the case, he'd have to come up with another plan.

So with his plan in mind, Zell signalled at his crotch before darting to the right across the girder, hoping against hope that his plan worked. When he was within range of the gap, he leapt down onto the other side. The guards, having suddenly been released from the insane gravity distortion, responded by raising their guns and opening fire. By the way the rounds blasted off metal, the brawler could tell they couldn't get a good shot and were thus shooting blindly in an attempt to cow him into submission.

Fat fucking chance.

Ducking down, he stayed that way and listened to the repeated _clinks _and _clanks _of the slugs that clashed with the circular metal walkway and nearly jumped when the sounds shifted into that of a scream followed by rending flesh. Grinning despite the mental images that were conjured by such sounds, Zell leapt back up onto his feet and off towards the nearby stairwell.

_Despite it all, I think I like him now, _the brawler beamed silently, as he left the gravity GF to enjoy its killing spree.

* * *

The steady hum as the crane lowered them deeper and deeper down the pit below were the only things that disturbed the tense silence that permeated the air like a vapour. Selphie would occasionally gasp as she peered out the window ahead of them, taking in the limited view of the prison levels as they continued their descent, otherwise no one said a word. Frankly, he had no idea why, since all the floors looked the same.

The concern that the soldiers along each floor would somehow attempt to stop them were in the back of his mind, even as they received no such forms of resistance. He kept his gaze fixed at the monitors on the wall, occasionally looking out the window himself to ensure everyone went smoothly, his arms folded, causing the sweater jacket Zell had loaned him stretching tightly beneath his arm pits and across his chest like a second skin. It was far from comfortable and he was forced to rest his arms at his side after a moment. He appreciated the sentiment since the alternative was running around the complex shirtless as well as shoeless, but he should have at least remembered that the brawler wore a size smaller than he did.

He managed to check a sigh as he considered what they would do once they reached the bottom. He didn't doubt that there would be soldiers and guards waiting for them, and he knew they would have to be ready, but he had no idea what they would do once they were away from the prison. He had yet to bring up the news he'd received from Seifer regarding the garden because he wanted everyone focused on escaping. It would do very little if they were apprehended because the grief prevented them from thinking straight. Once they were outside he would have to tell them then and he hoped they would focus more on coming up with a solution rather than blaming him for putting it off.

But that didn't take Zell into account, and the thought caused the SeeD to frown slightly. Garden had a procedure regarding almost everything that took place in the field. Honestly, their failure would mean Garden would disavow their actions to protect the rest of SeeD, but that didn't altogether mean they would give up on them. In the event of capture, it was the Squad leader's duty to ensure that as many members of the team got out as possible. Anyone who was left behind would be forced to fend for themselves as everyone else returned to the Garden for debrief.

It was cruel, but logical. No one expected to be able to save everyone, and this procedure ensured that no additional lives were risked trying to be a hero. Zell had just essentially volunteered to be the fall guy, the one left behind to ensure the rest of the team's safety. Even if he didn't intend for that to happen in the first place.

However, Squall had absolutely no intention of leaving _anyone _behind in this place, knowing what would await the brawler should he fail to escape with everyone else. He had experienced it first hand and he had sworn that no one else would be put through the kind of torture he had been exposed to. Not if he could help it. On a more logical side, he needed all the help he could get if they were going to stop the missiles from launching. Seifer had mentioned something about the missile base being prepped for the launch, which had to mean the Garden was safe, if only for the meantime. Numbers would be their biggest strength to ensure that it remained that way. Furthermore, it was _his _responsibility to ensure everyone on his team was accounted for and able to fight should the need arise. It just wouldn't be complete if someone got left behind.

For the first time in his life, he didn't care that he was breaking the rules, or how many rules in fact (because he was pretty sure he was breaking quite a few).

He'd come up with a plan, though it had its issues. Once they were safely out of the prison, he would ensure that Selphie and Quistis found some cover before going back in for the brawler. It wouldn't do anyone any good should the girls – who were unable to use their junctions within the prison without the special belts the soldiers used – go in with him, they would become a liability. At least outside of the prison, they would have the rapport and would be better equipped to cover their escape once he reached the brawler.

Squall knew there would be argument. Regardless of their inability to utilize paramagic within the walls of the prison, he knew they would want to come along and back them up. Selphie would complain and insist that he was being stupid while Quistis would point out every single reason there was that made this plan a bad idea. But in the end, it was his decision to make. In the end, they would have no choice but to abide by his order, even if he had to pull rank. It was not something he looked forward to, knowing that it would cause a tension that they couldn't afford.

With his decision made, the Squad leader inclined his head slightly as though assuring himself that this was the right course of action. He had thought the gesture had gone unnoticed, but a sudden shift from his right directed his attention to Quistis, who was staring at him with an arched eyebrow. "What's the matter?" She asked.

"Nothing," Squall answered before realizing how quickly he had answered. He was forced to check a sigh once more as he awaited the bombardment of questions that insisted he give an explanation.

Surprisingly enough, Quistis simply shrugged and turned her attention away as though dismissing it altogether. He was even more surprised that she hadn't pre-empted him, finishing his sentences or answering for him like she had been for the last little while. He supposed the situation called for a more serious approach and was relieved that she at least knew there was a time and place for everything. So he settled back into the tense silence that seemed even louder against the low hum of the crane.

When they finally reached the bottom, the crane shook slightly and almost knocked the SeeDs off balance. He supposed it meant they were as far down as they could go, and wondered for a moment if the crane was supposed to be down this far. But he was proven wrong when they activated the controls and the door to the crane folded out, much like it had when he'd been brought up to interrogation. It landed on a plank a few feet away, forming a bridge over the gap beneath them.

Having regained their balance, they took in the path ahead. It appeared to be a hallway that seemed wide enough for the three of them to walk side by side, though not comfortably so. The metal was everywhere, smoothed out as the walls and with long square planks that made up the floor. There was a door at the end of the hall, though he couldn't tell if it was one of the automated doors they had seen throughout the building or if it required a code to open.

"So what now?" Selphie asked, having come up to stand beside him.

Scowling, Squall resisted the urge to growl. Ever since they had gone to Timber, he had found himself in the very annoying position of being consulted over every single thing. When it came to situations where they were stuck and there weren't very many ways to escape, or if they needed to brainstorm using knowledge from all parties, he didn't mind so much, but when it came down to common sense, he didn't feel the need to hold everyone's hand and think for them.

So it was with an irritability that had been long in the making that he indicated the door across from them. "Well Selphie," he said rather pointedly, "there's a door right over there."

"And?" Quistis interjected with a tone that said 'so what?' Turning to regard her, he found that she had folded her arms across her chest and was giving him a very pointed look. Her eyebrow was raised, as though expected him to continue. He didn't exactly understand why she was placing the decision the decision back squarely on his shoulders and for what felt like a very long moment he stared at her back, silently asking what she expected for him to do.

Quistis didn't answer him verbally, and there was no clue in her expression either. Her silver rimmed glasses rebounded his reflection back to him and he swallowed heavily, realizing that she would not give him the answer he was looking for. So finally, he lowered his gaze from the impromptu staring contested and bit back the curse that was rising at the back of his throat.

Finally, he forced himself to speak at great length, forever stating the obvious. "We'll go check it out."

Seeming satisfied with the answer, Quistis dropped her arms from her chest and made to follow him as he stepped out onto the bridge.

They didn't have very long to walk and soon found themselves standing just a few feet away from their destination. Now much closer, he realized there was a latch that wasn't dissimilar to the ones normally found in submersibles. There was also a box on the wall to the very right and after a moment of inspection, Squall realized they would need a code to activate it.

But they didn't have the code, nor did they have the time to try and figure it out. While they had yet to encounter any more guards, Squall didn't want to press their luck, so instead he pressed his bare palm against the keypad and concentrated on the sensation of thunder coursing through him before willing the magic through his hand. It worked, and he watched as the paramagic short circuited the object, frying it from the inside out. When Squall removed his hand, he could still see the smoke as it wafted between the buttons for each number and it sparked every few seconds.

Then, grabbing a hold of the latch, he pulled with all of the borrowed strength he possessed from the junctions and after a couple of attempts he managed to twist it to the right, turning the circular latch around and around until he could feel it coming loose.

But just as he was making some headway, he heard a low rumbling that sent his instincts on high. Releasing the valve, he turned around, shouted for everyone to get back to the crane and ran full out for the make-shift bridge. Just as everyone was climbing back inside the crane, the door burst open and he was barely able to raise the bridge and close the door before the rumbling increased in volume. He braced himself for impact but was surprised when it didn't come.

No one moved for a full minute, each of the crane's occupants wondering what the hell had just happened, but after that minute had passed, Squall activate the controls, opening the door and dropping the bridge once more. Then, tentatively, everyone stuck their head out into the opening to take in the sight that awaited them.

Whatever it was that had caused the rumbling had spilled out into the hallway, though not far nearly far enough to reach the crane. It appeared as though it had clotted in the doorway, looking forever like whatever had been holding it back had been knocked onto its side. Just by looking at it, he did not regret his decision to fall back, believing that they would have been crushed by the weight had they not moved when they had.

"Wait a minute…" Quistis said thoughtfully before opening the crane door again and stepping outside onto the bridge. Squall and Selphie exchanged glances before poking their heads out from the inside to watch what the former instructor was doing.

She approached the object and, using her hand as a shovel, picked up some of the substance before allowing it to fall back down into itself. With a disgusted sigh, Quistis clapped her hands together to dust the stuff off her before shaking her head. "It's just sand."

"Wait…" Selphie said with a confused expression on her features. "Does this mean that we're…?"

"Underground?" Quistis finished for the diminutive SeeD. "Yes, it looks like we are. At any rate," she said as she made her way back towards them, "we can't get out from here."

"So I guess it's back upstairs we go, huh?" Selphie asked with a shrug. "Maybe the exit's in the middle of this place."

Squall groaned suddenly and slapped himself in the forehead. He was well aware that the other two were looking at him in concern, but he was too annoyed to care. He wasn't in any pain like they were thinking, like their facial expressions told him they were thinking, and he shook his head irritably at the sight. "_Or_ back at the top level," he said through a sigh. "The door at the top of the stairs was barred. That could've been a security measure to keep us from getting out that way."

"Yep," Selphie said after a shocked moment of silence, "better hope Zell hasn't left the control room yet."

He turned back around and went to try and contact Zell when a sudden noise stopped him. It was with a sinking gut that he recognized what they were. From the worried expressions on everyone else's faces and the pallor in their features, he could tell they did too.

They were gunshots.

"Zell," Quistis said dully. She was thinking the same thing he was, what they were all thinking. Someone must've caught up to him somehow. The gunshots could be the result of a struggle or a means of execution. Either way, it didn't sound good.

"Still hope he stuck around?" Squall asked Selphie, who started to chew on her lip nervously.

"Without Zell at the controls, we can't get back to the top floor right away," Quistis said before muttering a curse under her breath.

"Maybe we could…" Selphie started, but the former instructor interrupted her.

"It's the same situation, Selphie. We can't use float spells because of their unpredictability."

Selphie huffed silently, almost indignantly before saying, "I was _gonna_ say use the top of the crane to get out of here."

Once again Quistis shook her head. "Without junctions we wouldn't be able to climb all that high."

"But if we got back up to the floors with the stairs," Squall said as he jumped out of the crane and went to pull himself up onto the roof of it. He was just barely out of reach and frowned thoughtfully in the realization that he was too short, "we could make our way back the long way around."

At the sceptical expression on Quistis' features Squall sighed as he began looking for leverage to boost himself up. "It's the best way to get out of here. Zell'll be able to outrun them, but even with junctions it won't be for very long. And when the guards finally catch up, there's no telling how long he'd last in a fight against those odds, even with junctions."

"Then we'd best hurry," Quistis commented as Selphie mirrored Squall's actions in looking for some kind of leverage.


	9. Chapter VII: Brothers in Arms

**Edited: **_06/15/10_

* * *

**Chapter VII:  
Brothers in Arms**

* * *

There were only two major sounds he could hear.

The first was the pounding of his feet as they slammed against the metal beneath him, propelling him forward as he continued to run along the path towards his destination amongst the steady rapport of gunfire as they blasted against the solid structure he ran past, or bounced off metal girders as he never stopped once.

The second, the sound of his own ragged and heavy breathing that had nothing to do with exhaustion or fatigue.

As he jumped down the last five steps, the brawler rounded the corner towards the next step of stairs, stumbling slightly as he propelled himself forward ever still during his abrupt landing. More footfalls sounded from behind and he cursed his poor fortune as plaster and chunks of the floor were blown away by concussive gunfire. His arms flew instinctively up over his head to shield, to protect, though it would've done him no good in the end. Still he ran, having thought he'd outran the guards in pursuit, having thought that with his junctions he would be able to outlast all of them. Apparently it was too much to ask.

He bounded down the next set of stairs as these thoughts ran through his mind, looking over his shoulder at his pursuers before redirecting his attention forward. It felt like there were guards posted on every floor, at every stairwell, preparing to intercept him in his frenzied attempt to escape them. That was the only fathomably reason why he had yet to lose them. He could have used some extra help, but Diablos still had yet to return from the frenzy on the top floor. He was hoping very much that the GF would get wise and come back sometime soon. Despite the rotten luck he'd suddenly found himself with, he forcibly reminded himself that he wouldn't have gotten this far at all without the experience of Ward's stint as a prison janitor in the dream world. In fact, the knowledge that he knew exactly where to go was mute when taking into account the sheer number he faced. It was only a matter of time before this chase ended and he got caught.

Still, Zell ran, feeling no side effects for the length of time he'd been doing so, legs pumping and muscles working like an Olympic long distance runner. The guards and soldiers that had been on his tail since he'd left the control room would eventually tire, probably already had, but he knew there would be more to take their place in the chase. That was the problem with being outnumbered by about a thousand to one. There was always more to pick up where the fallen enemy had left off.

He'd run down three flights of stairs so far, not including the level where he and the girls had found Squall. In an attempt to throw off the enemy and slow them down, he had lashed out with spells at his pursuers. He had no idea it if it had worked, but there had been other instances where he had resorted to his fists as a guard managed to intercept him in his run. For the most part, however, he'd just ran, knowing that any time wasted sticking around to defend himself would increase the number of the combatants he'd have to face. Zell wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination, regardless of what some people said. He knew when a fight wasn't in his favour and he knew when it was better to simply retreat.

As he continued to run, memories flooded his mind of a childhood with kids chasing him all around the grounds of schools and the streets, targeting him as easy prey because he'd always been short for his age. Bullies had always targeted those they perceived as weaker, unable to defend themselves and they had made good use of their intimidation in their years. It was partially the reason for his joining Garden and his desire to become a SeeD, the desire to prove that he wasn't just some kid who could be pushed around. Still the bullying had continued throughout the four years he'd been at the Garden, but he had learned how to defend himself and that was really all he could have asked for.

The other reason lay with his grandfather, a man hailed a hero of Balamb who had died before he was born. According to Ma, Grandpa Dincht had fought in the Sorceress War when Balamb used to have a military of their own, and lent support to the Galbadians against Esthar. Both countries had been united with the goal of overthrowing the tyrant in charge, and his name was still regarded with awe at all the amazing things he had accomplished. It wasn't just because he was a hero (though he could admit that was an allure),but because he'd been a stand-up guy from the stories he had heard growing up.

And he wanted to be just like him.

As he continued his way down the steps, he finally felt the dark energy that comprised of the Gravity Guardian Force returning to the recesses of his mind, almost pushing Leviathan aside as it made itself comfortable. The brawler winced slightly at the action, but there was no outward indication of his discomfort and his stride never faltered. At least the junction was back and he didn't have to go hunting for it later.

Too bad he couldn't have maybe taken out his pursuers before returning.

As he had become marginally distracted by the junction's sudden arrival, when Leviathan warned him of an impending attack he barely caught sight of the guard stepping out in front of him with his weapon raised. Thinking quickly, the brawler launched himself forward from the step he was on and leapt up so that this foot made contact with the opposing man's head. The guard fell to the ground, though the brawler's momentum didn't stop him from there.

Both Leviathan and Diablos warned him of the impending danger from either side before the two guards who had been waiting to ambush him could carry out their plans. After downing the first guard, Zell rotated his body so that he was spinning, slamming his knee into one of the guard's heads and forcing him into the nearby wall. Before the second guard had slid to the ground, Zell was already twisting, his feet barely touching solid footing for a mere second as he was forced to dodge the attack from his left. Using the first step of the stairwell behind him as leverage, Zell propelled himself up, grabbing a hold of the roof above his head and throwing his feet out, knocking the man back and flinging the brawler up into the air. He somersaulted for a second before he landed onto his hands and knocked his legs back into the guards face.

With strength he shouldn't have possessed, the brawler forced the man to tilt to the right and gravity took over, forcing both of them onto their sides, with the guard's head securely fastened between Zell's legs in a crushing sleeper hold. After a minute, the guard stopped his struggles. Another guard came up in front of him, but Zell was quicker. He launched himself up into the air and his foot made contact with the man's head, causing the enemy to fall to the ground. He didn't stop his momentum, however, spinning around and crashing his knee into his would-be-assailant's skull, the result knocking him into a nearby wall. Zell then twisted, his feet leaving the ground as he avoided another attack from behind, shifting his body and landing onto his hands, using his momentum to knock down another couple of guards using his feet.

He had taken out six guards and only thirty seconds had passed.

Still, he wasn't done. He was forced to release the unconscious guard when he moved away to avoid being hit over the head by a baton. With an easy manoeuvre, he was back on his feet, his back to the pit as three more guards stood in front of him, blocking his path.

Smiling cheekily, Zell eyed the batons with barely repressed distain before shouting out, "What? They don't think you're _real_ cops so they give you a stick to beat people with?"

That pissed them off. Dropping the batons they were holding, they pulled out the big guns, which weren't exactly big as they were only .9mm hand pistols. Zell snorted in response, and the guards opened fire at the same time that the brawler squatted down, propelling himself up and out of range. He managed to force the momentum forward, which forced him to move over the heads of the guards and then behind them. "And now, you're just compensating for something. But I think you guys need a bigger gun to get your point across."

He knew he really didn't have the time to mess around with the guards, but he just couldn't help himself. He wondered fleetingly if _this_ was the kind of kick Seifer got from picking on him at the Garden before he crouched down, his hands fisted. He threw both fists into the ground, causing it to shake beneath him as a fissure formed from his fists and seemed to travel towards the guards.

They panicked. Two of the three dodged in separate directions, but the third didn't have that mindset. Instead, he backed away from the fissure and ended up tipping over the railing that was supposed to stop people from falling down the hole. The other two jumped into action immediately and ran forward to stop him from falling.

Zell didn't stick around to see how they fared. Instead he bounded for the stairs, jumping them three at a time. He hoped that the others hadn't opted to leave without him.

* * *

The tight cramped space was horribly uncomfortable, pinning her left arm to her side as she sifted through the objects ahead with her right, cursing as her long bangs kept falling back into her face. She wished she'd thought to bring something to tie her hair back with, though chances where the attempt would've been mute. She'd had it styled this particular way because she'd thought it would look good on her.

Rinoa cursed again, this time for her decision for the cut. This did not keep her distracted at all as she continued her search regardless.

"Ya _sure_ ya don't need mah help?" Irvine asked from somewhere behind her. The sound had been unexpected amongst the banging noises she was making against the metal and caused the resistance fighter to hit her head with a loud _thud_ against the roof of the locker. She started another stream of curses that were no longer directed to past decisions she'd made as Irvine added lamely, "Didn' mean ta startle ya."

"No, it's okay…" Rinoa said, wincing at the throbbing feeling against the crown of her head and resisting the urge to rub at it, knowing that the only arm inside was occupied with the task at hand hoping against hope that she hadn't gotten herself stuck. That would have been awkward given their circumstances. "I don't think I can find anything else. And anyways, if _I'm_ having trouble squeezing in here, I think you'll end up stuck for sure. Are there any guards coming?"

She heard Irvine huff a sigh from behind before he replied. "None, dahlin. By tha looks of it, I'd reckon they're focused on sumthan else for tha mo."

Rinoa sighed as her thoughts returned to their arrival (or return as it were) to the prison as she continued her search.

When Irvine had finally relented to coming back to the prison to help her rescue the others, Rinoa had figured they would need to come up with some kind of plan. Subterfuge had looked to be their best bet, but all they'd really needed was a means of getting inside of the prison. Action packed entrances with weapons blazing and a fire fight wasn't going to cut it, no matter how awesome it looked in the action films she had watched with Zone and Watts.

In fact, in her opinion she thought the entrance she and Irvine had settled on had been much more professional, if only a tad more boring. They'd parked the car a little ways away from the entrance on the south side, and she'd sat in the front seat with a pair of binoculars while Irvine had trudged out of the vehicle with a cloth and the sniper rifle she'd seen him use at the parade (though how he'd talked the General into letting him keep it, she would never know). Rinoa assumed that the cloth was to be used for blending in with his surroundings, like in the movies.

She had looked on through the binoculars, keeping an eye out for anyone heading in their direction. Being as observant as she was, she had done her job well, and in the end he'd taken out all the advancing guards before he'd packed up the gear, jumped into the driver's seat and they'd gotten closer to the building. They'd stop after driving a couple of metres before they'd begin the process all over again, and continued to do that until they were just too close to get away with it. As a result, Irvine had proven he had just as heavy a lead foot as Squall did and they'd crashed the car through the gate with Rinoa holding on for dear life. Within the safety of the vehicle, Irvine had taken out the advancing guards who had somehow avoided being run over.

However, despite the amount of trouble they had been forced to go through to get into the prison undetected and to avoid unnecessary scraps with the guards, when they were finally inside, the alarms had gone off like crazy, scaring the crap out of the pair. At first, Rinoa had thought they'd messed up, but now that she had some time to think about it, she realized she should have known better instead of freaking out and blaming the whole fiasco on Irvine. When they'd first ambushed the guards, she had expected more of them, and yet only a small platoon had been there to receive their charge. That could only mean that the others had somehow managed to escape and were still on the loose.

They'd taken a few detours along the way as they combed the place over, hoping that the group of SeeDs had been close enough that they hadn't needed to venture much further. Unfortunately, they had run into guards and soldiers instead, but between Irvine's shooting and Rinoa's Blaster Edge, the guards hadn't even stood a chance. Rinoa figured they must've gotten the drop on them, because the odds hadn't exactly been in their favour.

But when they got a couple of levels further, they'd reached an open expanse with a couple of rooms that were probably used by security for security. It was there that Rinoa had noticed a rather large stretch of blood with bodies laying amongst it all. The smell was almost unbearable, and from the looks of it, some sadistic bastard had taken great amounts of entertainment in cutting the guards up. Amongst the dead, however, there was a platoon who had probably been sent to investigate the scene. They'd looked up before either Irvine or Rinoa could've thought to take cover and, after a comical yet shocked minute between the two parties, the guards and soldiers had opened fire.

It had taken almost everything for the pair to stay alive, and they'd barely managed to knock out the guards and lock them all inside of a nearby room (one of the doors didn't have a door, but they'd managed to find a couple more). Both of them had thought it handy to liberate the men of their weapons before locking them up since the last thing they needed was for the assholes to break out.

One of the other rooms on the floor had turned out to be a storage locker, which was where they were in currently. Rinoa had thought they could raid the place for more ammo that could be used for the weapons they'd stolen (though Rinoa wasn't much into guns. The sharpshooter had been tasked with handling those). After rifling through the room, however, she didn't have a very good impression of the armaments the soldiers used, since all she'd found so far were a pair of .9mm's and a strap that carried almost a dozen combat knives. They'd already set those aside when Rinoa decided it'd be a good idea to search the lockers, and she'd come up empty in some of the others before she'd found one that might have something hidden in the furthest corner away from the door. Rinoa was currently trying to reach that elusive object so she could properly identify it.

Finally, just as her fingers began to cramp, she managed to grasp the object – whatever it was had been made out of leather – and she pulled at it, drawing it closer to her using her index and middle fingers until she could get a firmer grip. She eventually did and as she pulled it out, moving out of the locker as she did, she gasped as the object grew closer. There was something else that was attached to the leather that Rinoa could barely make out but she recognized it nonetheless. She pulled the object out as fast as she could before examining it closer.

It turned out to be someone's jacket. It was one of the ones that used a zipper, but it looked as though it was layered well enough to stave off the spring chill. There wasn't much to distinguish from it aside from the fur that outlined the collar, but along the right hand side near the shoulder there was a blatantly huge hole that shouldn't have belonged but it confirmed her suspicions. In fact, Rinoa was so shocked by the discovery that she almost dropped it out of reflex once she'd recognized who it belonged to. The image of the ice spear was still burned in her mind and she couldn't help but trace the outline of the hole with her index finger. Suspiciously, there was no trace of blood on the object, but Rinoa gathered the material was so dark the inchor wouldn't register on it properly.

"Whatcha got there?"

Irvine's voice broke through her thoughts and she jumped slightly, thankful that she wasn't still poking around inside of the locker. Trying to still her breathing, she felt relief wash over her at the revelation, but she shook herself of it. Finding Squall's jacket didn't mean anything unless he was attached to it. And seeing as he wasn't currently wearing it, and wasn't even present, she would have to hold off the celebrations until they were all together and they were all out of there.

So after the moment of deliberation, Rinoa held up the jacket for Irvine to see and he whistled at the find. "Means he's still here," Irvine said, looking the object over. Rinoa could tell he was doing what she had moments before and watched as his features tightened as his gaze lingered on the hole. "D'ya find anythan else?"

"A pair of boots but other than that, no. Squall wasn't in the same cell as the rest of us when I left. If he's really here, then he might have been held somewhere else."

The sharpshooter nodded solemnly. Rinoa guessed he might have already figured that out, what with her shock when he'd informed her that the Squad leader had managed to survive his encounter with the Sorceress. Then the dark look disappeared and he grinned smugly at her. "Well, while _you _were pokin' 'round that there locker, I reckon I found somethan' useful that'll tip the scales in our favour, so ta speak."

Before Rinoa could ask what it was he was talking about, Irvine withdrew what had to be the most simplest and yet _ugliest_ belt she'd ever seen in her lift. It was a metallic colour that did nothing for its allure, but there was something about it that seemed off; she hadn't been using magic for very long, but even she could tell that it wasn't just any normal belt.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she eyed the object he was holding like some slimy looking dead thing. "What the _heck_ is _that_?"

Irvine fixed her with an appraising look. "Well, by definition of appearance, I'd say it'd be a belt, Rinoa."

"_That's_ not a belt," Rinoa argued with the shake of her head. "That's a _monstrosity_. Who wears silver anymore?"

Irvine sighed. "Ya can't think that its appearance is all it's about, can ya?"

Rinoa frowned thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side as she took a second look at it. The thing was still ugly, a plain looking silver, but there was no belt buckle or notches to adjust the size. It was simple looking, yet strange for a belt and there seemed to be something almost mystical about the object. She could at least admit that it was more than simply ordinary, but that didn't necessarily mean the stupid ugly thing was useful. "So it's a _special_ ugly belt," she folded her arms across her chest stubbornly. "Big deal."

The sharpshooter sighed in exasperation before finally giving up. "I hearda these here belts back at my Garden," he explained. "In normal situations, it don't do nuthin'."

"So people wear them _willingly_?" Rinoa asked incredulously.

"I ain't done yet," Irvine said, avoiding her question. "Like I said, it don't do nuthin'. Not _ordinarily_. But say in places were magic don't work so good, people who wear 'em still can cast spells and magic. I'd even go as far as to say that's what they were really _intended_ ta do."

Rinoa frowned thoughtfully. If the guards were wearing those stupid looking things for protection and not as a fashion statement, then that would _definitely_ give them an advantage over any of the prisoners, no matter who they were. It was most definitely unfair, but she wasn't surprised to hear this, knowing that Deling would've done anything to ensure the political dissidents didn't escape back into freedom after having rallied against him so. It also answered a question she'd had since they'd first entered the prison. She had been unable to cast spells since setting foot within the walls of the building and at first she had thought it was her nerves that were preventing the spells from forming. After a little while she'd realized that wasn't the case, but at least now she knew.

"So where did you get that thing?" She asked, refusing to admit that it seemed more useful than at first glance.

"Firstly, I rounded up _five_ of 'em," Irvine explained. "Secondly, they were just lyin' around on the guards we beat up. One for you," he held one out for her to take, and she backed away as though he were offering her to handle a snake, "and then one for each of tha others. Since I don't use magic or GF's, I reckon I won't need one."

If patience was a virtue, then Irvine has the most saint-like person she had ever met. And given his treatment of her when they'd first met, she doubted that very much. Still, he kept his arm extended in a gesture that said he expected her to take it. As the seconds ticked past them and nothing happened, his grin widened noticeably, almost as though he were enjoying her momentary repulsion. She wondered fleetingly if he was trying to get back at her for her treatment of him upon his so-called 'rescuing her'

Finally when they approached a full minute of nothing being accomplished, he spoke. "So ya gonna shove it on or what?"

Rinoa made a wounded sound in the back of her throat. She wasn't about to give into the request so easily however. "Yeah, right. If those _big_ and _burly _guards were wearing it, what makes you think it's going to fit someone as _dainty_ and _small_ as me? And before you say anything, I'm _not_ stringing it along my shoulder like some duffle bag, which _also _went out of style about a decade or so ago."

Instead of getting annoyed at her attempt at avoiding putting the damned thing on, Irvine pressed some kind of button along the side. With a mechanical snapping noise, the belt expanded in size like a hoola hoop. Irvine tossed it in her direction and Rinoa caught it awkwardly, almost dropping it. "Dahlin', I doubt that'll be a problem."

Grumbling under her breath, Rinoa positioned the expanded belt over her waist and after a moment of searching found the button that Irvine had pressed. An instant later, the belt shrunk and fit against her waist snugly. She scowled at the ugly object, wrinkling her nose again as she said, "It clashes with what I'm wearing."

Irvine just rolled his eyes. "Normally, I'd humour ya, but right now I'd reckon we have more _important_ things ta worry about, outside of how ya look. For instance, cuza that alarm, I'd say it's a rightly safe bet tha others got on outta their cells, so we best find 'em before tha guards do."

His expression suddenly turned thoughtful as he continued, "Ya don't reckon they'da thought the exit was in tha basement, do ya?"

Rinoa opened her mouth to respond, to tell him what a stupid notion that was to even consider let alone entertain, but she snapped it shut as she thought about the question carefully. She realized with a sinking feeling that Irvine had a very valid point. Just because Zell had a dream about a guy who mopped the floors in this particular prison didn't exactly mean he would know where to go to reach the exit. Traditionally, the way out was located on the ground floor and while this was true in this instance, they would head in the wrong direction if they decided to climb down all those stairs to reach it.

More importantly, she wouldn't put it past the Galbadians to bank on that stereotype. "Then let's make them aware of that mistake," Rinoa said in reply before leading the way out of the room and bolting down the stairs.

* * *

He continued to run up the stairs, vaulting over the railing as it got low enough and taking off up towards the next flight. He knew that under any other circumstances, he would barely be able to lift his head let alone move around because of what he'd been through, but the junctions allowed his body to forget the pain and exhaustion for the meantime. He'd pay for it later of course, but he'd deal with the consequences then. Now was not the time to dwell on it.

He tried to keep his pace steady enough for the others to follow but without a link to their own guardian forces, Quistis and Selphie couldn't move nearly as fast as him. By the time they reached the fifth floor, he'd lost sight of them completely.

He contemplated going back for them when he saw the guards up ahead. Those thoughts fell to the back of his consciousness as he threw out his arm in front of him. He watched as the room filled with the static electricity that came with the thunder element, however what the guards didn't expect (and Squall was banking on them not expecting it) was the large streak of lightning that lashed out through the air before forming into a large yellow bird. At least, that's what Squall supposed it looked like. A large beak protruded from what could be assumed was its face, the base of the creature rippled with no feet to be discerned and sleeves from some kind of elegant looking robe formed at the tips, giving the impression that they were mishappened wings.

Quezacotl, in all its glory, towered impressively over the enemy guards before looking down at them and unleashing large concussive blasts of electricity. The blasts caused each and every one of the soldiers to seize and thrash about before the Guardian Force disappeared, taking its lightning with it.

They hadn't even hit the ground when Squall passed them by, and he would have thought the treatment to have been ironic had he been thinking of much at all as he ascended the stairs.

* * *

"Yeah, sure!" Selphie managed to wheeze out as she stopped to catch her breath. The Squad leader couldn't see her as when she'd reached the landing he was already at the top of the next stair well and continuing obliviously up. "Cause all the damage and leave us to clean it up. Just for that, you're grounded!"

"Are you _sure_ this fatigue hasn't made you delirious?" Quistis huffed beside her. "You're _not_ his mother."

"Now that," Selphie said as she attempted to smile. It came across looking like a grimace instead, "would be an interesting mental picture."

However, just as they were about to make their way up the stairs after the Squad leader, footfalls sounded from further along the hall. The girls had only enough time to exchange furtive glances between one another before they saw the first of what appeared to be many guards rounding the corner straight for them.

"Um," Selphie said tentatively as Quistis bit her lip beside her. "I think we're in trouble…"

* * *

Zell landed in a crouching position as he jumped from the fourth step and threw a fist up into the jaw of one of the guards that were attempting to ambush him. Another tried to grab him as he used the momentum of his action to pull him to his feet. The brawler shifted his arm up and bent it at the elbow, the result breaking the man's nose and sending cartilage into his brain. Zell kicked the spasming man aside before jumping up and executing a round-house kick, which caused three guards to land on their backsides before he vaulted backwards. We'd wasted enough time with the goons and figured it was time to leave.

Darting down another set of stairs, he noted that it was clear of guards and he chalked it up to good fortune. But as he reached the landing, something connected with the back of his skull hard enough to send him to the ground. He blinked the stars from his vision, knowing that had he been prepared for the blow it wouldn't have hurt that much, but he didn't so much as breathe when he heard a man's voice snarl from above him, "You fucking bastard!"

Slowly, Zell looked up to see a single pissed off guard and grimaced to himself in embarrassment. He could fend off a multitude of the lackeys but one on his own managed to knock him down to the ground. Of course he could've attacked him back, but the brawler was too busy staring apprehensively at the gun that was pointed right in his face.

The guard was breathing heavily, like he'd just finished running a marathon, but he knew better than to assume the man was exhausted. It was more likely the action was caused by adrenaline. The prisoners almost managed to escape and yet here was one staring down the barrel of his weapon. One wrong move and his face would look like a bowling ball.

The brawler wasn't stupid, and decided it would be better to wait and see an opening he could exploit.

Unfortunately though, he realized very quickly that it wasn't coming when the man snarled out his next word, "Die, asshole!"

Zell closed his eyes and tensed up for the shot that was bound to kill him, and was surprised when the guard shouted out something in shock…

* * *

He had just been climbing the next set of stairs up to the next landing when he'd caught sight of the guard corner Zell with a hand gun. Frowning to himself as he passed the threshold of the stair well, he knew he would only have a split second to react before the guard pulled the trigger. As he moved, he withdrew the gunblade from its holster and charged forward, both hands gripping the handle tightly with his finger on the trigger.

The guard had the sense to turn his head when he did but couldn't do a thing as he saw the SeeD charging straight for him. Squall slashed up with the gunblade and pulled the trigger right as the blade hit the brawler's assailant. The man flailed like a fish out of water and when the blade had been ripped up out of his back, the guard fell forward, hitting the ground with a dull thud as blood began to pool around him.

Squall frowned slightly, holding the weapon in his right hand as he stared down at the body. He saw from his peripheral vision that Zell had opened his eyes (apparently he had closed them at some point) and was staring between the dead guard and the Squad leader in shock.

"I didn't expect him to go down _that_ easily," Squall mused to himself and he hadn't been aware that he'd said anything until he heard the words echo back at him through the still hall.

"Squall?" Zell said in dull amazement. Squall assumed that he'd gone into shock and just when he was about to snap him out of it, the brawler launched himself forward, grabbing the older teenager by the waist in what was supposed to have been a half-assed hug. "Thanks man! You saved my life!"

The action had caught the SeeD off guard. Had he expected the brawler to act like this, he would've pre-empted him and prevented the contact. But as of this moment, Squall could only stare at him in shock before he shook himself of the condition and said sternly, "Let go."

Zell ignored him, and Squall frowned as he said, "I said let go." He tried pushing against Zell's head, hoping that he might get the hint, and it worked. A moment later, the brawler pried himself off the SeeD just as they heard footfalls from behind. A moment later, Quistis came charging up the stairs with Selphie hot on her heels.

"Wait…" Zell said, his features shifting to one of confusion. "I thought we were heading _down_."

"Too much sand," Selphie exclaimed good naturedly but there was something about the way she was shifting from foot to foot that put Squall on edge, "but I wouldn't stick around here for too long either."

Before the Squad leader could ask what she meant, he heard another set of footfalls from below before he saw the uniforms. Where he had expected to be confronted by more guards, he was mildly surprised to discover that they were soldiers, with a higher array of automated weaponry than the guards could ever hope to have. The submachine guns that most of the soldiers used were already in their hands, primed at the quartet. "Move and you die!" The soldier at the front commanded, even as more converged behind him. Squall noticed that they were beginning to block off the route to the stairs beyond.

"Sorry," Selphie said while wincing. Quistis looked equally dismayed. "We couldn't shake them, so we ran for it. Guess they caught up."

Squall frowned thoughtfully, knowing that they wouldn't be in this predicament had he not gone off ahead of the others. He didn't say anything however. Even if he'd wanted to, the soldiers wouldn't have given him the chance. "Hands above your heads, now!"

Squall and Zell exchanged glances between one another, nodded slightly before doing what they were told, the girls following suit. But before the head soldier could say or do anything else, Squall flicked his wrist as he concentrated on his magic and Zell charged forward.

The soldiers instantly opened fire, the sound shattering the stillness that had fallen over them all like a blanket. The girls both brought their arms up in a feeble attempt to shield their bodies from the oncoming bullets, but the action as not required. Zell, having also emerged from the attack unscathed, leapt forward without hesitation and slammed his fist into the lead soldier's head with enough force to cause a sizeable dent along the top. The soldier slumped forward, twitching slightly from the damage sustained. It wouldn't have been surprising to have learned his forehead had been reduced to mush from the blow.

While the brawler drew the attention onto himself, Squall was able to retrieve his fallen gunblade, though instead of using it he threw his free hand out in front of himself. A gust of wind formed between the two parties before it blasted towards the guards and soldiers, forcing them back against the wall. A good number of them flew out of sight, the sounds of bodies hitting the steps behind as they descended audible against the harsh wind. By the time the Aero spell had worn off, the soldiers had scattered this way and that, forced to recover themselves from the unexpected attack.

Of the two girls, Selphie was the first to move into action. She charged forward then, rolling beneath a soldier's upraised leg, which had been preparing to kick out and knock the smaller girl away. She lashed out at the guy behind him with her nunchaku, having withdrawn it and striking in one fluid motion. Quistis meanwhile kept her assailants at bay with the crack of her whip, the sound echoing off the tall walls and high ceilings above and amplifying it into a sound that mimicked thunder. It wouldn't have been unexpected if she were attempt to secure them an escape route. As the girls continued their movements, the boys continued to press down against the soldiers who barred their path, charging into the fray despite the submachine guns that were primed at the ready. However, both males knew that with junctions they were the ones with the advantage.

Zell pulled away in front of the gunblader and rushed the closest of the soldiers. He tensed in preparation of an attack that did not come, for Zell sudden vaulted up into the air and above before landing into a hastily formed crouch behind him. The man was lost as he followed the brawler's movements and thus did not see it coming when Squall took advantage with an overhead cleave that cut the man in half from his shoulder down to mid-chest. The front half of his uniform was stained with his blood and he hit the ground with a bloody _squelch_ that seemed to overcome the report of the gunfire from the gunblade. His blood pooled along the floor, creating a horrible mess that any janitor would view as a nightmare to clean up.

Ignoring the downed soldier, Squall turned his attention towards the three soldiers advancing in his direction. Somehow they'd managed to avoid Zell's running charge and while the brawler was distracted they turned their sights onto him and opened fire. Fortunately, the protect spell had yet to fail and was more than what Squall had expected when he'd used the paramagic to form the defensive spell. Regardless, this left him to continue his own charge. Instead of attacking high as he had previously done, the Squad leader aimed low, hitting the floor with such a force that it propelled him forward still. Using the momentum that drew him closer to the enemy, Squall lashed out with the gunblade and slashed at their legs, pulling the trigger as he passed the first one by for added affect. As the clueless man turned to pursue, his ankles fell out from under him and forced him to hit the ground face first, almost cutting off the agonized scream he made at the realization of what had just happened.

Unfortunately his attack had missed the other two advancing soldiers. Seemingly having seen the attack coming, they forced the dark-haired youth to back away as one of them moved on the offensive and withdrew his short sword from the holster on the right side of his belt. Squall ducked the strikes that followed twice before blocking the third with the blunt side of his own bladed weapon, forcing the weapon to press down. The soldier had the advantage of possessing a free hand and utilized it as he threw out a fist that connected with the side of Squall's face, forcing the teenager to stumble backwards. The SeeD used the momentum from the unexpected attack to aid him in dodging the gunfire the remaining soldier provided.

As Squall prepared to charge forward, the gunning soldier was suddenly struck by something that had been tossed in his direction. Both the object and the attacking soldier hit the adjacent wall with a loud _bang _before slumping forward. It was when the movement suddenly ceased that Squall identified the object as another soldier and, turning in the direction the second body had come from, he spotted Zell dominating in his own fight. The brawler shoved his fist into the stomach of another solider before lashing out with a kick to his left hand side, defeating the attempted ambush that would have assailed him otherwise. There was no doubt what had caused the flying soldier to collide with his comrade.

He spied Selphie a few feet away from the brawler, though unlike Zell it looked as though she was being overwhelmed by the soldiers who meant to capture her. About to assist her, Squall was violently reminded of his own situation as he was forced to duck a blow from the short sword that could have easily taken off his head from the momentary distraction. Cursing lightly, Squall raised the gunblade to block the next swing and ducked the incoming punch that followed shortly thereafter. It left his opponent vulnerable and Squall took full advantage, swinging the gunblade before the other man could recover and detaching the soldier's arm from the rest of his body. It hit the ground with a wet sound that preceded the scream of pain that tore through the injured man. Squall cut his suffering short with a blast of wind that knocked him over the ledge of the balcony. His problem solved, he charged forward with the intention of assisting Selphie.

The diminutive SeeD was holding her own surprisingly well despite the lack of junctions but judging by the look of her face, it was the result of luck rather than any practiced skill. The girl dropped down more than ducked from an incoming slash attack that would have ended the fight and raised her nunchaku in front of her, using the wooden planks as a shield to stave off the strike from another short sword. Before anyone else could do anything to Selphie, Squall hauled off and slugged the closest one, forcing him to fly up into the air by a couple of feet before skidding across the floor and into the wall a few feet away. The soldier did not stir.

Looking up from behind her shield, Selphie flashed him a grateful grin before lying fully on her back in order to dodge another attack from her left. Before the soldier in front of her could properly attack, the diminutive SeeD purposefully raised her boot-clad foot into the air and forced it into the advancing man's crotch, causing the soldier, his comrades and even Squall to since slightly from the sight. Being the first to recover however, Squall pressed the palm of his free hand against the ground before summoning the particles of paramagic once more, his focus solely on fire as he cast his spell. A blast of fire flew forth from his spread fingers and tunnelled through the ground, erupting only when it reached the group of soldiers Selphie had been facing. Their screams echoed off the walls surrounding them as the air surrounding them grew as white hot as a furnace.

"I've cleared a path!" A familiar voice shouted from somewhere nearby.

Neither Selphie nor Squall wasted any time as they ran towards the direction Quistis' shout had come from. Seconds later, Zell joined them as he dislocated one of the remaining soldier's arms and shoved him back into his advancing comrades. The former instructor was waiting for them at the base of the stairs, her own assailants baring the slash marks and bruises that proved evidence of close ranged attacks. She ushered them all up the stairs ahead of her and no one dared to argue otherwise as they were finally able to escape their pursuers.

* * *

"I've lost contact with Squadron S," a Galbadian soldier announced as he threw his communicator down in disgust. "Looks like it's up to us after all."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," another soldier commented, grinning as wickedly as a shark as he snapped the pieces of his weapon back into place, causing audible _clicks _to distil the silence around them. Among the two men were the rest of the soldiers who made up their squad, their submachine guns at the ready. The two speakers and another pair of soldiers were bereft of the automated weapons, instead equipped with long barrelled sniper rifles that were equipped with silencers to block out their fire.

The plan was surprisingly simple, though the best plans tended to be so. Should the advancing teams fail to apprehend the escaped SeeDs, their team would assault them with automated fire once a sighting had been made. With the sound the submachine guns would make, the sniper shots would be easily disguised, even more so with the silencers, and they would be able to snipe them off during the confusion caused by the concussive sounds of gunfire.

No one doubted that the enemy would find some form of cover. The hole in the ground only afforded them with so much of an angle to see them clearly, and once they got out of range, they would be forced to simply wait them out until they emerged from their hiding places. And the instant they attempted to do just that, be it to attack or to retreat, they would be rendered with so many holes they'd be almost unidentifiable.

It didn't matter that two of them wore the utility belts. Even the supernatural beings that were Guardian Forces couldn't save the brats from a headshot.

"As soon as they pass through that door, we commence," the Squad leader ordered. "Don't worry about hitting them. We just need to back them into a corner. Even _SeeD_ can't contend with an enemy they can't get to."

* * *

"So wait a sec…" Zell said as they continued to climb the stairs up. "We're _buried_ down here?"

"Exactly," Quistis said from behind him. "So we've surmised that the exit must be at the very top."

Zell uttered a curse that came out as a groan under his breath. "All those damned stairs _again_!"

"Quit complaining!" Selphie piped up, huffing and puffing as they continued their ascent. "At least _you're_ junctioned."

Zell winced as though a sharp noise had torn through the air. The smaller girl had a valid point. While they were a hindrance and annoying at best to him, for someone without access to GFs they had to be a nightmare. He didn't doubt that Quistis and Selphie were dreading having to go all the way back up to the top just to be absolutely sure that the exit was up there.

Looking back towards Squall, he noted how carefully in check the elder boy's features were, blocking his thoughts from view of the others. Eitehr he hadn't heard their discussion or comments or he just couldn't be bothered to care. Knowing Squall, it was most likely the latter but regardless of his reasons, Squall was keeping quiet. Zell settled into a silence as well, knowing that their squabbling and chit-chat would only draw out more unwanted attention.

They reached the top of the stair well, and upon looking out the door, Zell realized it led out onto another one of the prison floors. They still hadn't reached the top, though it made Zell want to kill the guy who designed this place all the more. Why the hell couldn't he have made the stairs reach all the way to the top?

_To keep prisoners like us as disoriented and desperate as possible, _Zell mused in answer. It made sense to keep ending and starting the stairwells at different intervals rather than allowing them all to reach the same destination, because it exposed the escaped prisoners and allowed for the guards to easily recapture them. He was starting to truly understand just how it was this place was so inescapable, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

No one had left the safety of the stair well, which allowed the girls to catch their breaths, though they did their panting as silently as they could muster. To the junctioned ear however it still sounded as loud as a clatter of fragile dishes falling atop a drum, and it took everything in him to keep himself from shushing them. Looking out into the hallway though, the brawler was shocked to discover that the area was empty. There was no sign of guards or soldiers anywhere in the vicinity. It was like they seemed to forget all about this floor, or assume the prisoners would never make it this far.

But the SeeDs all exchanged grim glances, because all of them knew that something was wrong. Having encountered nothing but interference, the sight of an empty floor screamed alarm bells unanimously among the quartet. It could only mean that an ambush was waiting for them.

Unfortunately they had no idea where exactly the enemy could be hiding. The floor was clear, so unless they were hiding behind the railing overlooking the gap in the floor, there was no place to stage an ambush. And even beneath the railing was a poor option, because they could see through the bars that held up the banister.

Beside him, Squall raised the gunblade he held, which had yet to be sheathed. He held up an arm to hold them all back before he took another survey of the room. The brawler figured Squall was simply looking for something, _anything, _out of the ordinary, but Zell was confident the Squad leader would find the exact same thing he was. Everything was exposed.

Though another thing just crossed Zell's mind. There were still the cells that surrounded the outer layer of the floor. The doors were closed, which could mean the soldiers lying in wait could easily be hiding behind it. If they proceeded, they would have to do so carefully.

Zell figured that was the cause of Squall's hesitation, and was thankful for it, because he knew he didn't really want to be gunned down should they emerge from the safety of the stairwell. But after a few moments of waiting Squall appeared to come up empty, because he fixed them all with a resigned look before gesturing them out into the open space. "Be careful," was his only warning.

He didn't even need to say much at all, since everyone else knew what the price they would pay for carelessness would have been. Honestly, Zell would have preferred to bypass this floor altogether, and judging by the expression on Squall's face, he would've agreed. If only the stairs continued up at least a floor higher, but alas that was not the case. They had to proceed across if they wanted to escape, they had no alternative.

Very slowly and very carefully, the quartet of teenagers entered the expanse of the current floor one at a time, weapons raised and movements cautious. The only sounds that filled the air were the tapping of feet as they moved across the floor. In fact, they were near the half-way point that Zell realized that it was, in fact, _too _quiet, way too much so to be anything but a trap.

Still, nothing happened. Encouraged, the group continued the trek forward. Behind the brawler, Selphie was clenching onto the nunchaku so tightly that her knuckles were a bright white from the strain. Quistis was diligently sweeping the area with her eyes, probably searching for any sign of ambush in case they missed anything from their previous search. Her features were tightened in apprehension, more than likely expecting an attack from all sides. Not necessarily a bad thing. Squall had taken point, his gunblade raised and held at the ready as he stepped forward in almost calculated strides.

But just as they finally reached the halfway mark, a sudden volley of gunfire assaulted them and immediately the four jumped away and dodged for cover – _any _cover – to avoid being hit. There was a surprised squeal from Selphie and when Zell turned to regard her, he realized she'd been discouraged from taking cover in one of the cells behind them. That left the railing as the only potential means of protecting themselves from the hail of bullets and Zell scowled even as he dove down beneath it beside the Squad leader, who had ducked down and covered his head in response to the attack. As he did so, he was forced to amend his earlier thoughts of the railing, because where he thought there were gaps, he realized that the narrow bar of metal was suspended by what looked to be Plexiglas panels. While it was a vast improvement, it was still hardly adequate cover.

Feeling motion from nearby, the brawler turned his attention to his left where he spotted Quistis and Selphie joining them from nearby. The blonde female was ducking down as low as humanly possible while the smaller girl had her hands stretched up over her head. Zell doubted that it would help her or Squall for that matter, more like make them a better target.

Having apparently figured this out, Squall tried to stretch up over the railing, his hand raised as though preparing a spell, only to duck back down as the fire power was concentrated to that particular area. The scowl on the older teenager's face spoke volumes despite the brunet's silence. Not only had he been unable to get a shot in, he was unable to see a thing.

"What do we do _now_?" Zell shouted over the hail of gunfire.

"They can't continue firing on us forever," Quistis shouted back, barely heard over the concussive rapport of enemy fire. "Eventually, they'll be forced to reload. When that happens, we make a run for the stairs across from us!"

The former instructor pointed ahead of the towards the stairwell that would lead further up the building and away from their pinned down position.

"I don't think they _all _started firing at the same time, Quisty!" Selphie argued as she kept her head as low as possible. The gunfire blasted off the railing, causing a loud _ping _noise to sound. The small girl rubbed at her ear in response.

"Most of them probably did," Quistis said in answer. "We'll be able to tell when the majority needs to replenish their ammunition. There won't be near as heavy fire power on their end when that happens."

The quartet waited for an agonizingly long time before they noticed a dip in volume. It still sounded like miniature explosions going off but the sound had dimmed somewhat, which suggested that this was the opportunity they were waiting for.

"Now!" Quistis shouted and no one needed any encouragement. Everyone made a run for the stairs, but just as suddenly as they started, they were forced to abort the charge when chunks of the tiled flooring before them exploded up and out of place. In their shock, all four of them backpedalled to the relative safety the railing had provided and Zell inspected the broken tiles as best he could from the awkward vantage point he possessed. He couldn't be sure without getting close enough for a better look, but the blast seemed to be far more precise than what a submachine gun like the ones that were firing on them could possibly possess.

"It's coming from above," Squall said in reference to the gunshots. He inclined his head up at an angle as he spoke.

"Which ones?" Quistis asked anxiously.

"All of them."

Selphie gulped at the indication, but it was the only commentary that anyone received from the declaration. "Those last shots were sniper rounds," she pointed out as she eyed the defaced floor with mounting dislike. Her gaze than went skyward but she was forced to duck back when another blast connected with the railing. "Do you think they're trying to flush us out?"

"If the submachine guns don't get us, then the snipers will, no doubt," Quistis remarked bitterly and Zell cursed under his breath at the notion. "That was probably their plan all along. They've got us right where they want us."

The brawler couldn't help but agree with her. The Galbadians had the home field advantage here and thus knew the ups and downs of this place like the back of their hands. Throughout the twenty years the prison had been up and running, the guards had had ample amount of time to come up with ways to utilize the building to their advantage, and now they were finally able to put it to good use. Zell wouldn't have been surprised to have learned they held drills for just an occasion.

They would have known the four SeeDs would have been forced to travel across this floor to continue climbing up to their destination. Of course they would have staked the place out and waited for them to make this inevitable step. It was obvious now that he thought about it.

Unfortunately thinking about it wasn't going to get them out of this mess.

"How're we gonna get out of this one?" Selphie shouted over the gunfire.

The brawler didn't have a good answer to that question. However, he decided not to voice his opinion on the matter, as it would be counterproductive of the situation. What they really needed was to focus on what they could do instead of what they couldn't. He looked up and tried to get a good look above them without chancing a bullet to the head. The automated gunfire made it difficult to move around and if they even attempted it the snipers were sure to get lucky the next time they opened fire.

But just as he had assumed that the only way out of this was going to be through body bags, he heard a different kind of gun report. It was much slower than that of the machine guns, but unlike the sniper rifles, whose sounds were almost nonexistent, this one was loud and clear, the sound ringing off the halls above their heads, followed after by shouts and surprise and cries of pain.

"Our ambush is getting ambushed?" Selphie asked in stark confusion, lowering her hands from the top of her head.

No one answered the diminutive SeeD, more focused on discovering the source of the strange interrupting. The loud and almost lazy sounds continued on for about a minute longer before they finally stopped altogether, leaving behind a ringing silence that was almost as deafening as the previous gunfire.

Despite the lack of noise however no one seemed to want to move anytime soon, and for good reason since no one had any idea just what the hell had happened. But then a sound disturbed the tense silence that had befallen them all, the sound of footfalls as someone descended the stairs towards them.

Everyone exchanged apprehensive glances between one another before turning their attention towards the stairs, waiting for whoever was approaching them to show themselves. They didn't have to wait for very long, and Zell's stomach dropped at the sight of the familiar looking figure who stood on the topmost step…


	10. Chapter VIII: Galbadia's Alcatraz

**********Edited: **_06/22/10_

* * *

**Chapter VIII:**  
**Galbadia's Alcatraz**

* * *

She hated stairs. That was all there was to it.

That was not always the case though, because she could remember in a distant past loving them a child. They provided her with a means of amusement inside of a rather large and oppressive home. Often she would find herself running up and down the stairs just for the sheer fun of it. She had no idea why she did it, why it was so entertaining to simply bound up the steps before charging back down but it had been a simple pleasure in her life that she had eventually outgrown. This had come to the relief of many of those who had worked in the manor, because it put an end to the insane sounds of _pitter-patter _that preluded the heavy _thud _that would come from her skipping the last couple of steps.

Whatever the case may be, as they continued to descend the stairs, switching stairwells when they reached the bottom all the while knowing that they couldn't _possibly _have searched the entire prison already, she realized how much she'd come to detest them. _Was _there even such a thing as too many stairs in the eyes of the Galbadians? Apparently not, because the only constant within the prison walls aside from the garish metallic blue that surrounded them on all sides were the stairs and the mirror like floors of the prisoner levels. More or less, all they had done upon leaving the security office with the treasures they had discovered had ultimately been scaling the depth of the prison.

Her feet ached horribly, but that was more or less her own fault (regardless of whether or not she would admit this fact). Her ankle-height boots had been purchased because of looks rather than actual comfort making them decided unfit for walking. The resolve to replace these shoes grew with every step she took, with every stair she descended, with every move that brought her steadily further within the prison. She made the decision to do so the very moment she had the chance.

Everywhere they had passed, they had searched for their SeeD comrades, only to encounter the guards who had been posted along each of the floors instead. It had been a saving grace that her Blaster Edge had been returned to her, otherwise she would have been forced to rely on Irvine and his rifle in order to clear the path. Having become convinced that the stupid ugly belt would release her from the binding effects of whatever it was keeping the prison magic free, Rinoa still refrained from doing so, wanting to keep her trump card in case she needed the element of surprise. All the same, she hadn't needed to use it anyway, because between the two weapons, the guards and soldiers hadn't stood much of a chance against the unlikely duo.

Continuing the descend the stairs, wishing against hope that when they made the next turn they would find the rest of the team, Irvine and Rinoa never once stopped to check on the guards or soldiers they had managed to subdue. It seemed to have been unanimously decided, though neither one had spoken about it, that doing so would only squander their otherwise precious time. Furthermore, it would allow the Galbadians more time and opportunity to catch them.

When Irvine called for them to stop when they reached the base of the set of stairs they'd descended, Rinoa felt a glimmer of hope that, perhaps, they may find something here. Looking through the doorway told her she was right, but her hopes sank at the sight of an empty floor, bereft of soldiers or guards or even their comrades. But then Irvine was moving beside her and when she made to complain he fixed her with a look that was so blisteringly serious and so_ unlike _the sharpshooter that it made her stop. Snapping her mouth shut almost obediently, she could only watch as Irvine left the relative safety of the stairwell, creeping quietly out into the hall that seemed so large it almost swallowed him whole.

It was her confusion at watching him move across the hall when there was no reason to stop on this floor at all that caused her to miss his signal for her to join him. She was finally brought out of her stupor when the sharpshooter suddenly turned bodily and gestured quiet obviously for her to do just that but it was another moment before she actually did. Bristling at being told what to do, Rinoa almost stormed out after him purposefully though having the mindset to keep her footing quiet. The last thing they needed was to encourage an ambush because she felt indignant at being ordered around.

Both teenagers crept towards the railing that seemed to arrest the sharpshooter's attention. She didn't know why it was so special _now _when he'd not been so bothered about it when they'd first reached the upper levels upon their arrival. Rinoa had seen the great big hole then, had felt the vertigo as she'd taken a curious but tentative look down the yawning chasm and had decided not to jump it as she'd originally decided.

But now Irvine was staring at the thing with barely restrained suspicion. She didn't understand why.

Of the two, Irvine managed to reach the railing before them first, crouching down low as if afraid he might be seen. Not understanding but not being stupid, Rinoa mirrored his actions as best as she could manage, throwing looks that demanded an explanation that were ignored. Her scowl deepened in her displeasure and she forced her attention away from the sharpshooter and over the railing, steeling herself from that dreaded vertigo that would take hold.

Only it didn't. Because the sight directly one floor below their current position captured her attention instead.

The sight forced her to gasp in her shock, but she was quick enough to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep the sound from passing, to keep from being discovered. On the floor below them were a group of soldiers crouching around the railing ahead of them as the pair were doing. They were outfitted in what looked like Kevlar vests, though the only real reason she thought of them at all was due to the action movies she'd watched with her friends. They still looked like regular Galbadian soldiers that wielded automated weapons like submachine guns or the standard type that was propped up by posts. What alarmed her was the sight of sniper rifles in the hands of a few of the soldiers and it caused her to wonder if they weren't waiting for someone.

It was a very long and quiet minute later when whatever their target was got into their sights and the silence was shattered by the rapport of machine gun fire. At the loud noise, Rinoa jumped what felt like a foot in the air before she slammed her hands overtop her ears to drown out the noise. Still, she could hear it as though there were fire crackers going off right next to her eardrum; it was so loud it was deafening and she could barely even hear herself think.

Beside her, Irvine had clamped his hands against his ears as well, though he didn't look nearly as flustered as she felt. She went to shout something to him but he quickly removed one of his hands from their spot along the side of his head and covered her mouth, the sounds coming out in startled and muffled noises that were easily drowned out by the gunfire below them. She fixed him a look and he signalled with his other hand to keep quiet. Huffing, she opted to listen. For now.

Though she resolved that he would get an earful later.

After about a minute, he removed his hand from over her mouth and raised his rifle before pointing at the soldiers. Rinoa assumed he was planning on ambushing them from where they were, but frowned all the same before shaking her head. If they caught onto their location, they outnumbered them at five to one from what she could make out from their vantage point. To give him emphasis, she raised her hand, holding up all her fingers and thumb before clenching her fingers so that only one remained erect. Then she pointed between the two of them.

Irvine rolled his eyes in response. Apparently he didn't think they were in as much danger as she knew they were in. She couldn't help but wonder if he were truly taking the situation as seriously as he had seemed to be and Rinoa's scowl deepened, fuming that the stupid cowboy seemed to think he knew better than her. Rolling her own eyes, she pushed up the sleeve of the leather jacket she was wearing before pointing at the Blaster Edge and then both of them, signalling for them both to attack the soldiers down below. Between the two of them, they should be able to take out the soldiers before they made their location.

To her shock, the sharpshooter shook his head before making a circle. His explanation clear, Rinoa slapped herself in the forehead. How could she have forgotten that if she shot off her weapon, all the goons would have to do is follow it back up to their location? It would make them even _bigger _targets than they were already.

Besides, it would probably just rip another hole through the fabric, and Rinoa was pretty sure Squall would gut her for the infraction. Somehow he struck her as the kind of guy who took care of the things he held close to him, and having watched him wear the beater jacket throughout the entire time he'd been assigned to the Forest Owls, she kind of had the feeling he seemed to like it.

Before she could come up with another argument however, Irvine tapped at his wrist impatiently and Rinoa almost swallowed her tongue she wanted to swear so badly. Knowing full well that the sharpshooter wasn't really wearing a watch, she figured out the gesture well enough. They were wasting time arguing when they could be taking out the goons.

So without another sign of argument, Rinoa got to her feet and backed away from the railing, moving closer to the stairwell all the same. If Irvine got spotted, then they would start shooting up into the hole above them and, if the sharpshooter was smart, he'd position himself in a way where they couldn't hit him, but where he could cause much more damage to them. That left the goons below with the option of coming up the stairwell to jump in from behind, which was where Rinoa would come in. Of course she could use the Blaster Edge, but she would catch them off guard if she decided to cast magic instead. _This _was the kind of situation she'd been saving her trump card for after all.

But before she had time to steel herself in expectation Irvine opened fire, almost eliciting a scream from Rinoa. The raven-haired girl had the sense in herself to stifle the sound before it could form, but not the reflex that caused her to jump in her shock. The first few blasts from the rifle blended in almost too perfectly with the machine-gun fire, but the slow steady shots jumped predictably out of rhythm with the enemy fire. But that no longer mattered, because the first few shots had hit their mark, causing shouts of pain that increased by the sounds every single time Irvine took his shot. Seemingly nonplussed by the noise, Irvine kept right on shooting, taking advantage of the surprise that seemed to render the soldiers below them from responding or even retaliating.

Rinoa still winced as each and every round was fired, despite having known that this was what would happen. It made her gut clench almost painfully knowing of the impending massacre, and in vein she tried to block the noises out by covering her ears and pressing so hard it felt like her head was in a vice. Clenching her eyes shut, she willed the images she conjured to go away, almost seeing them in her mind's eye and not at all liking it. She knew that it was necessary, knew that if they hadn't stopped them the others would never make it out of the prison alive, but as each bullet broke through the silence that had fallen from the sudden lack of enemy fire, Rinoa willed herself not to succumb to the fear, to the disgust and the disbelief and shrink into an emotional ball. This was what a real battle was like and suddenly she realized that she had taken on way too much for her to chew.

But then she felt some light pressure on her arm and she reflexively jerked her hand away, backing up and knocking into the wall behind her. Opening her eyes, she realized that it was Irvine, and though he was no longer shooting, the sound of gunfire still rung in her ears, a terrible reminder of what had just transpired. She knew she would never be the same again, knowing that the sharpshooter had killed the soldiers down below, and that she was no better for simply standing there and letting it happen.

The naïve part of her cried out at the injustice while the logical side assured her that it had been the only way. A war waged on and it was difficult to decide which side would win. But it was a battle they would have to fight on another day when they weren't at immediate risk of getting killed for their interference. It would only be a matter of time before the enemy realized their ambush had failed and she wanted to be sure they had at least taken advantage of their head start.

"I'm fine," she assured Irvine, forcing her voice to steady despite feeling like she was shaking as hard as a leaf in a hurricane. She willed her heartbeat to steady in an attempt to calm herself, to keep herself from panicking at what she'd just witnessed.

If it was a failing attempt, Irvine didn't say anything. He just watched her for a minute before simply shrugging and slinging the weapon across his right shoulder. She pushed herself away from the wall even as he tipped his hat forward. "Well, can't keep Evrabudy waitin' on us, now can we?"

And just like that, the sharpshooter simply walked into the stairwell, passing her by and not even sparing her a glance.

Now that he was out of sight, it took Rinoa everything she possessed to keep herself from falling onto her knees and shuddering in her disgust. Not only by the actions but by the nonplussed attitude. She wondered about that, wondered just how much emotional training SeeD and Garden gave and what they had been forced to endure even before being put out in the field. Because it couldn't have been a small margin, especially not if Irvine was capable of simply shrugging his shoulders and walking away after having caused such a massacre. That was what heartless serial killers did, and seeing the contrast Rinoa couldn't stop the shiver that hit her from the comparison.

But still she forced herself to remain standing, because she knew it wasn't the time nor the place for her to fold into a nervous ball of mess. Despite how difficult it was going to be, Rinoa could only push this information to the back of her mind to process this later when they weren't under threat of incarceration of worse. Slowly, deliberately, she envisioned the exchange and the horrors she had just witnessed being dropped into an ornate box before it was sealed tightly and locked like a safety security box in a bank vault. She tried not to dwell on how easy it seemed to do just that and followed after the sharpshooter on shaky legs, still trembling slightly from the ordeal.

As she descended a flight and was making her way down the next, she could hear the cheery tone of Irvine's voice and it caused her to stop and tense. Then the words became clear and she scowled as he tried to saunter on in and act like some hero from some crappy old Western movie that no one cared about. Right now, everyone was probably downstairs confused and unknowing of what was to come and sure as hell not having the time or the patience to deal with Irvine and his theatrics.

Besides, she wasn't about to let him take _all _the credit for coming back to save them. She forced herself to focus on the indignant thought, because the alternative was far worse, as she marched down the stairs, her hands balled into fists at her side as she came to stand behind the sharpshooter. Then, with a purposely aimed kick at the small of his back, she watched him as he suddenly tumbled down the steps and hit the railing directly ahead of him. He fell on his stomach and lay on the floor for a second, no doubt wondering just what the hell had happened.

_Serves you right, _Rinoa thought in smug satisfaction. She was still angry at him for ditching the team when the fire got too hot. The fight in the car had only just been the beginning. "Stop trying to act so cool already," she snapped at him as he pulled himself up. "As if this was all _your _idea. If you'd only agreed with me in the first place, we could've gotten here _way _soon and avoided this mess."

She drew breath to continue her tirade as her gaze flicked over the others but that breath became caught in her throat as she caught herself staring at an apparition. More like what should have been an apparition brought on by drugs or hallucination or just a really shitty day. The shock in her audience's features was completely expected, how could they have known she and Irvine would be returning for them? And even the bemusement in their faces, particularly that of Selphie and Zell, was also fitting for the situation, particularly taking in the heap on the floor that Irvine had become. But it was the fourth and mostly unexpected member of her audience that was responsible for her sudden lapse, having not seen him at all since their incarceration.

Rinoa hadn't believed Irvine when he'd informed her of this very thing. She had assumed he had been mistaken, that he hadn't seen the full extent of the injury the Squad leader had suffered at the hands of the Sorceress. But seeing him now amongst the others solidified this fact and the hope that she had been forcing back because of scepticism was freed and she couldn't repress the surprised grin that spread the width of her face. Seeing Squall alive was the very proof she had needed, had wanted to see upon hearing the news of his survival and now that she had, she felt like everything was _finally_ going to be okay.

Though why he was wearing Zell's hooded jacket she would ever know. But dammit it all she was most definitely going to ask once they were out of the prison.

Still she couldn't help but curse the General for his hand in this situation. If he hadn't felt the need to rush in and kill the Sorceress instead of sticking with the operation they had at the time and thinking things through more carefully, things wouldn't have spiralled this much out of control.

"Rinny! You're okay!" Selphie's voice broke through Rinoa's thoughts and brought her back to the present.

"Of course she is," Irvine said as he finally finished pulling himself up onto his feet. Rinoa was so very tempted to run down the steps and kick him again, but she forced the urge back. "Courtesy of my escort. Ya'll think I'd let a little lady get hurt?"

"And what the hell's that suppose ta mean?" Zell asked, his gaze darkening as he glared at the sharpshooter. Rinoa giggled at Irvine's expense as the sharpshooter blanched at the look.

"What happened?" Quistis asked. It was almost like she was concerned for her. The sight surprised her, and she found herself blinking stupidly at the blonde. For the last week, the pair had barely exchanged two words between each other, and the last time they'd actually had some kind of conversation, the SeeD had screamed at Rinoa for acting like a child and treating their mission like a game (well, she hadn't _really _screamed, but it had damn near been close enough). Despite knowing that those two words spoken from the SeeD had been an apology for her outburst, Rinoa couldn't help the shock from hitting her full force.

Her shock didn't stand in the way, however, of interrupting Irvine before he could launch into a tale of bravery that would paint him in a good light. "The reason why the guards came for me is because the General pulled a few strings with the military. He signed all the paper work and all that boring stuff and arranged to get me out. _Just_ me," she emphasized, glaring at Irvine. The taller boy winced in response.

"And so this guy here," she gestured towards the sharpshooter, causing him to wince again, "came here to get me out on that man's orders, knowing that all of you were stuck here as well. How horrible is that? It's not only shameful for the General, who probably didn't want to be held under the reputation of leaving his own daughter to die in prison, regardless that it's his own fault to begin with, but it's shameful of the very member of the team who didn't stick around and try to divert the Galbadian's attentions and get us _all_ out of the fire in the first place."

"Alright! Alright!" Irvine said, sounding increasingly frustrated. Rinoa felt some satisfaction for the sharpshooter's predicament as all eyes were focused on him. "I said I was sorry, din'n I? And I'm here now, ain't I? That's gotta mean _somethin'_."

"It means I had to claw you to death to drag your ass back here," Rinoa snapped back at him, folding her arms across her chest and daring him to contest that point.

Irvine looked like he wanted to argue but, once again, he was interrupted. "Forget about that," Squall said, his tone indicating that he was bored of the subject matter. "We need to keep moving. Even if our ambush was taken out, that won't stop the other soldiers."

"And I'd reckon that now's our chance," Irvine said. Rinoa noticed how the sharpshooter threw the Squad leader a grateful look. Rinoa resolved that the former wasn't about to get away and wouldn't be hearing the last of this incident.

"What do you mean?" Quistis asked, folding her arms across her chest. "This building is crawling with soldiers and guards who know we're here. The basement door is buried underneath a ton of sand and, unless there's a quicker way to get out of here, we'll have to climb all these stairs just to check the very top."

Beside her, Selphie and Zell groaned aloud at the prospect. Squall scowled, apparently not looking forward to the trek.

"Of course the basement's buried in sand," Irvine said in what sounded like amusement. "This whole place is buried underground."

The SeeDs didn't appear all that surprised by this information. Judging by their facial expressions, they'd already figured that much out, but it was confirmation at the very least. Still, that didn't stop her from jabbing her elbow hard into Irvine's side. Because she was much shorter than he was, however, he winced as she hit him in the kidney instead of his ribs like she had been intending. "Don't laugh at them. How were _they_ supposed to know that from the get-go?"

Before anything else could be said, the sound of gunfire returned with a vengeance, forcing everyone back under cover. Irvine pinned himself behind an elongated wall that housed the stairwell before poking out from around the corner and returning fire. Rinoa, who was still standing at the top of the stairs, ducked down instinctively despite not being in range of the attack while Squall and the others resumed their post behind the railing. At least the metal provided some cover, but it wasn't very much, nor would it hold out for long.

"Squall, head on up ta tha top of this place," Irvine shouted over the gunfire, which sounded like it was coming from above them. "Go as far as ya can. I'll cover ya!"

"I know the way!" Rinoa said from her perch. "I'll go with you!"

"Anyone else who can get by the snipers and the gunners, follow us!" Squall shouted, not bothering to question them about it. He then stood up and threw out a hand, and Rinoa was amazed to see lightning lash up above them. There was a shriek of pain, which meant the spell had hit its intended target.

"Almost forgot," Irvine said. Apparently he assumed Rinoa had cast the spell, otherwise she knew he would've been just as shocked (no pun intended) as she was. "Take these belts."

The sharpshooter tossed them towards Selphie, Quistis and Zell before holding one out for Squall. Rinoa had resumed Irvine's place by blasting the enemy with magic. It wasn't very strong magic, but it would at least distract them until Irvine could take up his post again.

"Already got those!" Zell said from somewhere behind them. Rinoa didn't have an opportunity to ask questions, but the instant Irvine resumed fire, she watched as Squall climbed the stairs to reach her position. Not wanting to waste any time, she turned around and charged up the next flight, the footfalls behind signalling that he was following her. The sounds were accompanied by another but there wasn't any time to find out exactly who had joined them.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Rinoa was forced to stop as gunfire hit the ground just in front of her feet. It almost caused Squall and whoever else to collide right into her, though they had the presence of mind to stop as well. From the opening that led to the room with the dead soldiers she spotted more of their comrades advancing towards them. Behind them were other soldiers who were more than likely attempting to pin the others down. She only had a second to wonder how reinforcements managed to get to them so quickly when she caught the sigh of the cables hanging suspended through the gap and disappearing from sight above the ceiling. Apparently they weren't taking any more chances with them.

Apparently they ascent from downstairs had caught their attention and they`d sent some of their own forces to intercept, keeping them from advancing any further. Rinoa, who had slipped and fallen on her rear in her attempt to prevent the gunfire from hitting her, had cleared the way for Squall, who retaliated with a fire spell from an outstretched hand. The spell flew right over the raven-haired girl's head and into the advancing soldiers, the first taking the full brunt of it. His hands flew up to his face even as his comrades passed him to intercept the prisoners. They didn't move much further than that though, instead relying on their automated weapons rather than close range.

But the bullets didn't hit them because flashes of blue appeared in front of them and stopped the metal projectiles dead in their tracks. They hit the ground with a sound that was overshadowed by the rapid stream of gunfire that headed their way.

"Distract them!" She heard Squall shout and Rinoa sprang into action, unleashing magic spell after magic spell – difficult to do through the sleeves of Squall's jacket. Squall followed suit, sending blasts of thunder and ice to assault their attackers.

But an instant later, she felt it grow suddenly hit. Sweat started to drip from her forehead as the temperature spiked up higher and higher. For an agonizingly fearful second she thought she was getting sick, but then a large horned figure dropped out from in front of them, bridging the gap between their team and the soldiers. She didn't get a good look at the front, but from the back it looked like one of those centaurs from the maze stories she'd heard from school.

"Go get 'em, Ifrit!" Selphie shouted out from behind the pair, her voice startling Rinoa and identifying that she had managed to join them. She was not granted a chance to say anything in response to this discovery however, because the creature named Ifrit charged towards the shooting soldiers who immediately ran for all it was worth before the creature threw fire balls at the fleeing men. It didn't appear that the knowledge of the soldiers retreating deterred the creature at all because he gave chase.

"I _never _get tired of that," Selphie giggled.

Eyeing the girl warily as she pulled herself to her feet, Rinoa pointedly decided that Selphie had a strange sense of humour. Directing her attention towards Squall, she wondered if she shared this opinion but realized he was staring at the cables that hung in the air. She could almost see the gears turning in his head as he was formulating some kind of plan.

"What're you thinking Squall?" Selphie asked the question for Rinoa.

This seemed to draw him from his thoughts, at least partially. As he spoke, he still had that faraway look in his features that told he was still thinking. "We could probably use these cables to get us back to the top. We could avoid a lot of fights that way. The guards are probably expecting us to come up from the stair well. It may even cut the travel time in half, depending on how fast we can climb."

"Easy for _you _to say," Rinoa said huffily as she folded her arms across her chest. "_You're _both using GF's."

"Have you ever been rock climbing before?" Selphie asked cheerfully. From the sounds of it, the smaller girl was looking forward to the action.

"Well, yeah…" Rinoa answered though grudgingly. She'd gone plenty of times on school trips with her friends back in Deling, but they never actually went _real _rock climbing before. It had always been in controlled environments with protective gear and padding to ensure that no one hurt themselves should they fall. Moreover, they hadn't really climbed up that far either. Even moreover, they at least had a _wall _when she rock climbed. Here, there was nowhere to brace her weight, it would all be concentrated in her arms and she would be forced to pull herself up with barely any support.

Unfortunately, Selphie jumped in before she could point this out, shrugging as she spoke. "Then it should be just like that. And anyways, Squall's right. It'd be way faster than climbing all those stairs."

"Says you," Rinoa argued. By this point, Squall had moved from inspecting the cables to the prone bodies of the soldiers who had been left behind. The thundering of a fight as the soldiers futilely defended themselves from Ifrit sounded in the background. "I've never done this before without equipment. Or a wall for that matter."

"_I _did it during my field exam," Selphie proclaimed proudly. Rinoa was shocked speechless and the other girl pressed on uninterrupted. "There was no equipment available for me to use, plus I wasn't even junctioned at the time. It's _stupid _easy."

At that very moment, something collided with Selphie on the side of the head, having been thrown in their direction. It knocked the smaller girl off her feet and on her side, while Rinoa had the sense to duck as a second object was thrown right at her. Her first instinct was to look at what had been thrown and she realized it was a harness.

"I don't know about either of you," Squall called from the direction the harnesses had been thrown and Rinoa turned her indignant glare towards him. He failed to notice. "But _I'd _prefer to have something supporting my weight as I climb."

As he spoke, he was already pulling a third harness on and buckling it into place. "And I suggest we hurry it up. Irvine's not going to be able to hold out for much longer, even if Zell and Quistis are there to back him up."

The two girls exchanged wordless glances between one another before they started to pull on the harnesses, knowing that he was right. They didn't have the time to waste and they could only hope the others could hold up for a while longer.

* * *

"This is _crazy_!" Zell shouted from behind their cover.

He wasn't too far from the truth. When Selphie and Squall followed after Rinoa, he and Quistis had gone to do the same, only to be deterred by the increase of gunfire that lashed out at them from above. Even worse was that another squad had just come up from the stairs they had come from. It was a miracle no one had been hit yet, especially when the soldiers pretty much had them covered from practically all sides.

All three of them had barely been able to scramble back towards cover when the gunfire intensified at first. Now as they pressed themselves against the wall and fended off the enemy with protect spells, they were hard-pressed to figure out a means of escaping into the stairwell.

"Pretty fuckin' endless," Irvine shouted as he was forced to duck back behind the wall and reload. Quistis took up his post, blasting the enemy with thunder from her right hand and fire from her left. Surprisingly enough, the gunfire above them ceased, only to intensify from behind. "Don't know how much longer we'll be able ta hold on out. Hope tha others can reach tha top and make it out at least."

"That's all well and good for _them_," Zell shouted incredulously, "but how do _we _get out? Don't you think _that's _a bit of a flaw in the master plan?"

Before Irvine could respond, Quistis inclined her head in their direction after throwing out her spell. The blast of Blizzara hit the charging soldier full force in the face and due to the speed he was moving towards them, the sudden attack caused him to flip in mid-air before landing on his stomach. "What about the crane?" She shouted over the hail of gunfire.

"What about it?" Zell asked pointedly as Irvine looked on obliviously.

"We used it to reach the bottom, didn't we?" Quistis asked before turning her attention forward once again. Folding her arms across her chest, she then brought her arms out, an aero spell pushing the advancing soldiers back. "Couldn't we just use it to get back to the top?"

"What crane?" Irvine asked. His question went completely ignored.

"No good!" Zell responded. "We need someone to operate it from the control room, remember? It won't work if two people aren't controlling it from both places at same time."

"Leave it to me," Irvine said. This time, he drew both SeeD's attention.

Zell blinked at him stupidly before suddenly snorting. "Yeah, right. Leave it to you? You have any idea what we're even _talking _about?"

"There's some kinda crane ya'll used ta get ta tha bottom and we can use that ta get ta tha top, right?" Irvine asked pointedly. Zell nodded reluctantly in response before the sharpshooter pressed on. "Then that's all I reckon I _need _ta know. Just get us all down there. _I'll_ handle tha rest."

Zell was more than a little sceptical about this plan. The brawler knew machines because he'd always spent his time tinkering any equipment he could get his hands on. During the summer, he'd help out at the garage beside the rental car shop, and had learned his way around and engine or two and he was always fixing his moms computer, making it work (though ask him about software and he went totally cross eyed) for her when she couldn't. Irvine didn't strike him as the kind of guy who got his hands dirty trying to fix some kind of machine and he doubted that he could figure out a way of getting the crane to work with just one person when he sure as hell couldn't.

Still, he exchanged glances with Quistis, who shrugged when he caught her eye. "What else have we got to lose?"

"Good point," Zell sighed, not seeing an alternative. He didn't have to like it though. "I sure as hell don't want to stick around here any longer than I have to."

"Then allow me to stall for time," Quistis said with a nod before stepped forward.

Irvine looked like he wanted to intervene but when he made to mirror the former instructor's action, Zell held out an arm blocking his path without taking an eye off the other SeeD. "She knows what she's doing."

She stood in front of the soldiers, not even trying to stop them from advancing this time, giving the men false hope that they had given up. But the first of the soldiers who charged forward soon realized that this was a fatal error on this part, because out from the ice that had formed where there had been none before rose a strangely exotic and tall woman. Her long blonde hair flung from left to right as she shook her head, the braids _clinking _against the assortment of rings and metals she adorned them with. The tatters of cloth left very little to the imagination, almost exposing breasts that were firm and plump, and hardly shielding her groin area. Adorning her wrists and ankles were bangles that were merely for decoration, but otherwise her skin was bare.

She raised her hand up to intercept the guards, catching both of them and tightening her grip that caused the men to wince in pain. The rest of the soldiers were struck in awe at the appearance of this strange woman, but that didn't last long though when she flung their comrades back at them with a strength she should not have possessed.

Seeming to realize that this woman was now a threat, they opened fire as Shiva, the Guardian Force of Ice and Frost charged forward, throwing her arms up to block the blasts of gunfire with shields of ice she formed from the particles of the air. The bullets collided with the makeshift shields with a _crunch _before she used the slabs as battering devices, clubbing the closest soldiers in the side and the head before hurling blasts of the element at their comrades.

Curious as to the state of the sharpshooter, Zell turned his attention away from the fight (or rather massacre) to regard the taller teenager behind him. The sharpshooter shoot with his rifle half raised and his jaw slackened as he regarded the Guardian Force before him, watching as she almost effortlessly pummelled the soldiers that barred their path wielding ice as her chosen weapon.

Barely restraining a snort in the expense of the other youth, Zell turned his back on him, his lips tugging up at the corner of his mouth in a barely restrained smirk. "Shut your mouth, Kinneas. You're drooling."

Behind him, there was a decidedly annoyed grunt and Zell could just imagine Irvine shooting him a dirty look as he wiped at his chin in search of saliva that he had failed to swallow.

"Let's get a move on!" Quistis shouted, completely nonplussed by the appearance of her Guardian Force and completely unaware of the exchange between her two comrades. She barely left them any time to recover as she darted off towards the exit, the soldiers completely distracted by Shiva. Zell and Irvine quickly recovered and followed after the former instructor, Shiva cutting them a path as they made their escape down the steps.

But as they reached the halfway point, the trio ran into more soldiers that were currently advancing their way forward, completely oblivious to what awaited them at the top.

Thinking quickly, Quistis threw her arm out in front of her and a blast of wind lanced out, forcing them back down the way they had come. Some were able to stand their ground against the torrent, but most fell back down the stairs, cursing and crying out in pain as their bodies impacted with the steps below. Knowing that he didn't want to lash out with a spell only to hit the former instructor instead, Zell stepped forward so that he and Quistis were side-by-side and threw out his hand, inspiration from Shiva driving him as he pressed his palm to the ground. He felt the cold hit his arms and slide along down towards his wrists and resisted the urge to shiver as the spell made its way to his fingers. The spell expanded further before flowing from his hand and connecting with the metallic surface that made up the floor, spreading like a virus would through the bloodstream.

The soldiers who were a mere few feet away suddenly discovered with rising discomfort that they could no longer move. Looking down, they also discovered the cause. The ice spell had reached up and iced their boots to the floor, freezing them to the spot they stood on. Ignoring their enemy they concentrated on trying to free themselves, their attempts growing frantic as they realized the futility.

Meanwhile, Zell scowled at the sight as he lifted himself up from his crouching position. "Dammit, that's not what I had in mind…" He'd actually been hoping to have them slip on the slick surface and plummet down to the bottom as their comrades had done.

Without commenting, Quistis threw her hand out again and the soldiers suddenly slumped in their place, feet planted and all. Zell assumed she'd cast sleep on them and figured that he was probably right when they didn't get back up.

"Reckon they won't bother us none now," Irvine commented.

"Keep moving," Quistis said as she strode over, slipping on the ice caked floor but barely managing to regain her balance.

"Watch your step," Zell joked belatedly.

The trio had barely made it down to the next level of the stairwell before encountering more soldiers and guards. Each faction was armed with armaments as though they had been waiting for them to emerge. In fact, it was the very soldiers and guards who had taken a tumble down the stairs earlier, but having met up with the guards from that very level.

However, despite their guns, swords and batons, they didn't stand a chance. Between Quistis' special batch of magic, Irvine's rifle and Zell's fists and feet, the soldiers and guards weren't difficult to deal with. Unfortunately, it was eating up the valuable time they had to reach the crane before the others made it to the outdoors.

"This is going to take forever," Quistis sighed in frustration once the last of the solders and guards had been knocked unconscious. "We'll either get slowed up or re-apprehended at this rate."

"Maybe that's been their plan all along," Irvine agreed while tipping his hat forward. "Run us ragged and catch us that way."

"Only way I can see us getting past all that is to jump down that hole," Zell commented, pointing at the gaping circle that took up most of the hall. The brawler shook his head, rejecting the idea. "And I'm not as crazy as Selphie. I'll take the stairs, thanks."

"My sentiments exactly," Quistis nodded in agreement.

"Well then, how's about we slow up the masses," Irvine asked. It was amazing how he could sound so nonchalant while, at the same time, the sharpshooter rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Quistis and Zell exchanged glances between one another. Whatever Irvine had planned for their pursuers wasn't gonna be good.

* * *

_So I expanded on some of the fights that were in this chapter, and added additional details to things that were simply glossed over. I'm taking the time now to explain myself, so please just bear with me._

_For starters, it came to me as I was looking over this chapter that Rinoa came across as a little too hardened in regards to the ambush of the soldiers and guards below them. It made no sense for that to happen since, typically speaking, Rinoa is still technically a civilian. I did touch upon it during the previous draft but it was still far too glossed over for my tastes, which is why I expanded on it. Up until this point, Rinoa has only been forced to kill monsters. Any soldiers they encountered previously were rendered unconscious for the most part, or their deaths happened when she was too far away for the impact to sink in. More importantly, they were fighting at the time and to Rinoa it seemed like an excusable outcome. We're fighting for our lives so it's them or us. But at the beginning of this chapter, that was not the case. Irvine was masacring them and executing them from above and from a vantage point the soldiers themselves were utilizing on the SeeDs below them. To Rinoa, they could not fight back, so the action was senseless. Not having been the one to kill them herself makes it even worse because she feels culpable simply for standing by and letting it happen. I think it's a great contrast to her feelings about Squall killing Seifer in the Deling City Parade. It's one thing to be told that something will happen, but it's very different when it actually does, especially when you're around because you can say you will react one way but you may react entirely differently than what was already establish._

_Also, because I know I gave Shiva the shaft in the previous fights she had participated with simply because I glossed over her appearance, I gave her a proper fight here, even if it was against trash fights. Like Ifrit, I've modelled her appearance mostly off the Shiva from FFX, but only because she really does look so much better. I seem to have emulated her fighting style off FFX as well, but that's what happens when a fight scene runs away from you. I think it kind of makes up for past nuances and if anything it's a basis for future fight scenes as well, so I shouldn't have too much trouble (or excuses) in the future. I just hope that you Shiva fans out there can at least forgive me. _

_And yes, I took out the 'I want my jacket back' line. It made sense with the way I had written things when I first put it in. Now it just seems silly for no reason at all. Besides, Squall's got Zell's jacket for the meantime. That should be enough, at least for now._


	11. Chapter IX: Uneasy Allies

**Edited: **_06/22/10_

* * *

**Chapter IX:  
Uneasy Allies**

* * *

It was quiet. _Too _quiet.

The soldiers and guards stationed on the floor in question patrolled the grounds in silence, almost afraid that any words spoken would bring about a hell that no one would wish to partake. Their booted feet causing the subtlest of _taps _were the only things to distil the silence, the otherwise unremarkable sounds bouncing off the high ceilings above and blasting across walls with a fierce echo. It enforced the waves of unease that fell about them, causing them to tense at the slightest of noises that were deemed disruptive whereas otherwise sighted as unremarkable.

The waiting was the worst. Many of these soldiers had fought in battles and skirmishes against SeeD and it was the very reason they had been chosen to survey the prison during the duration of their latest prisoners' stay. While many had scoffed at the very notion that the Desert District Prison was in need of heightened security, no one argued the order outright, knowing from first-hand experience how resourceful SeeD was. Knowing that the prisoners had escaped and that they were somewhere was enough to cause panic, though it was due to the training that had been imbued into their blood from lifetime experience that prevented such an action.

When direct interference had failed against the youths who were currently flagged as 'armed and dangerous', they had attempted a stealth assault, relying on snipers and trained teams to take them out unawares. Unfortunately, word had reached the prisons and every station that the attempt had failed, and thus they had been slotted as they were, spread out amongst the surrounding floors both above and below to intercept the fleeing foe. Numbers were in their favour, but it was the only advantage they held against them. They could only hope it would be enough.

But then the silence exploded into a hail of faint gunfire, signalling an attack from above. The soldiers and guards prepared themselves, their weapons armed and poised towards the opening that led into the stairwell – the only method of which the prisoners could enter. The SeeDs' movements had been narrowed down to the tenth floor, with both floors on either side having been cleared out in preparation of the assault team. Knowing that nothing was below, they guarded the pathway leading to the third floor with backs turned, not fearing an ambush.

The sounds that exploded from the stairs ahead had startled them but they refused to the caught unawares. The sounds drew nearer and nearer and everyone braced themselves for action. But where they expected to see three of the SeeDs – the number of targets they were looking for were six, according to the last report they had received from the ambush team. Sightings also mentioned from the back up squad that they had split off into two groups of three – they only sighted one lone figure. This figure bounded down the stairs in an almost inhuman faction, leaping at least five steps away from the ground and propelling herself through the air before lashing out with a kick that knocked away a soldier's gun. This action caused everyone to respond, opening fire upon the perpetrator with the hopes of killing or incapacitating her.

But even as she swept her foot along the ground as she landed and off balanced the same soldier she had managed to disarm, the remainder of the force realized that there was something unnatural about this woman. They had expected anything, as they were well aware that the prisoners had somehow managed to get their hands on the belts that nullified the anti-magic field, but this woman was not at all what they'd expected to encounter. Her long blonde hair was the only factor that seemed even remotely similar to the descriptions they had been provided, however hers was inhumanely long, tied into intricate braids that appeared almost tribal. Her skin was an unhealthy blue, as though she suffered from severe hypothermia that seemed enhanced by the knowledge that she wore little to no clothing at all, just simple rags that covered her breasts and her groin. Bangles hung from her wrists and ankles, and her skin almost sparkled in the like as though the epidermis was layered in ice. She wore an orange bag along her back that looked more like a sack, but it was almost impossible to get a look at it as the woman continued to move like a dancer in midair.

But she wasn't dancing, that much was certain. After immobilizing the unarmed soldier, she fixed her attention towards the rest of the guards. Raising her arm to her left, a blast of ice seemed to rise up out of the floor, and it caused the guards within range to tumble backwards, as though they had hit an embankment slick with the element. The ones who managed to retain their balance opened fire but the strange woman simply flew into the ice she had conjured, shattering it and propelling the shards forward. They were not meant to harm it would seem, but simply distract as she lashed out with her foot, taking them down one by one.

The remaining guards and soldiers opened fire upon the supernatural woman, who immediately shifted so her front took the brunt of the attack, seemingly protective of the container she possessed. Before they could redirect their fire she was charging forward, attacking them with seemingly everything in her arsenal, from a well-aimed punch to a precisely positioned kick to bursts of magic that seemed like an extension of her. They didn't stand a chance.

Meanwhile, Quistis kept as low to the ground as she could while attempting to bypass all the action on legs that felt like jelly. Shiva had carried her down the steps before bounding forward and initiating her attack and it had been difficult holding on during the spins and abrupt turns the Guardian Force had made. Having left Irvine and Zell to take care of the floor above, she didn't doubt that Shiva would be more than enough of a distraction to ensure that she was left undisturbed.

For a breathtaking moment however, she was alarmed that the guards Shiva had bombarded with her ice spells would notice her, but she forced herself to relax as she noticed they were far too involved in trying to manoeuvre atop the ice than they were at searching the room for additional intruders. She would be left relatively alone.

The knowledge that all the doors along this floor looked exactly like the one to the cell she herself had been locked inside for the last week did not surprise her. She had passed by all of these doors during her sprint to the upper level earlier and again as they ascended the building to intercept the brawler. In fact, she was sorely convinced that the very image of these floors would be forever burned in her mind and it would be very unlikely that any form of head trauma would rob her of this memory. It did not disappoint her, but she wasn't particularly thrilled with the notion either.

The sounds of the fight behind were still going and she chanced a look in the direction, watching for a moment as Shiva caused balls of ice to form in midair and drop in a line one after another. Soldiers and guards alike scrambled for purchase atop the floor that was slick with the slippery element. Again, they wouldn't notice her with the GF drawing their attention.

Nodding to herself out of reflex rather than anything else, she approached the closest door and inspected the electronic lock adjacent to it. It was a key card reader and she would most assuredly need a card in order to get into the prison. Having already known from previous attempts that it would be very unlikely to secure a card in workable condition, Quistis instead opted for plan b. Ripping the cover off from the panel, she gripped a hold of the exposed wires and pulled, dislodging them from their place. She jerked her hand out of the way as sparks flew from the exposed ends, preventing herself from being electrocuted for her efforts. After a few seconds, the mechanism beeped obediently before the door slid open and allowed her access within.

Like her own prison cell, it was dimly lit and sparsely decorated with a toilet, a sink and nothing else. Inside the cell there were at least ten people sitting or standing amongst themselves and the former instructor felt a glimmer of disgust at the very sight. She had thought the room spacious with the trio, but ten people crowded inside a room with only one toilet and a sink to share between them was appalling. She couldn't help but decide that Rinoa most definitely had reason to detest the late President, particularly when it came to the treatment of those who rose their voices against his administration.

The people inside looked up at the sudden sound of the door opening, no doubt expecting a guard or two to harass them for the day. It seemed to be the norm from what she had witnessed thus far, and she'd only been imprisoned for a week. Quistis couldn't begin to fathom how these people – who looked run down and ragged in clothes they'd been forced to live in for Hyne knew how long – could stand it. Momentarily caught off guard by the sight and the number of these people, Quistis was forced to remind herself that the majority of those arrested and incarcerated within the walls of the Desert District Prison had been political activists, displeased with the way Deling's government was running the country. They had fought with words not weapons, and were most definitely civilians rather than trained soldiers, their lives ruined having been spent under confinement for their beliefs.

She felt eyes that were surrounded by dark rings screaming an inability to sleep fall upon her and the looks the civilians threw her were ones filled with shock mingled with suspicion. But she forced away the pity and the disgust in favour of the task at hand. Clearing her throat awkwardly, the former instructor threw yet another tentative look behind her. Assured that the guards and soldiers were still distracted, she returned her gaze to her unwitting audience. "Get up. Quickly before the guards notice."

"Who're you? One of the prisoners asked, the traces of suspicion creeping into his voice. Whether he tried to disguise it or not was neither here nor there.

"We haven't got time," Quistis insisted. "You've got your freedom back. Now's your only opportunity to take advantage of it."

"It's a trick," one man in the back said. He was leaning against the wall, his button up shirt hanging messily out of faded trousers with rips and tears throughout the legs. The shirt, which had once been a pristine white, had faded into a dingy grey, sweat stains marring the collar and along the underarms. His hair was shaggy, hanging so loosely from a high-tied ponytail that it gave the illusion of spikes in the front. He spoke so surely that the former instructor didn't doubt the guards had done this before. "You all know it yourself. No one escapes from D-District. Not in the last twenty, not even in the next."

He fixed a cool look towards the former instructor. Being on opposite ends of the room it made it difficult for her to read him, and his features themselves were guarded like a well-trained card player. "Obviously, you don't think too much of us lady. We're not stupid."

"No one said you were," Quistis spoke, keeping her own voice neutral and devoid of the frustration she felt at his scepticism.

"You didn't have to. Deling put you up to this, didn't he?" The decidedly annoying red-head accused. "Yeah, that's probably it. Deling's bored, so he's decided to try and raise our hopes, paying his goons to pretend to be saviours, only to kick the crap out of us the moment we even try to escape." He looked her up and down, as though appraising her from afar before smirking. "Probably things tits and asses will be a better incentive too. How much is he paying you, sweetheart? How much is your conscience worth?"

She bristled at the accusation before raising her chin defiantly, her fists balled at her sides. She refused to be baited by this man, and forced herself to calm down before she spoke. "Deling is no longer in charge of the country."

This garnered surprised looks and exclamations. A girl with large round glasses and messy dark haired tied into twin braids whirled to look at the closest man, both beginning to whisper amongst themselves. This action was mirrored by most of the occupants and she was grimly surprised to find the assured look on the red-heads face slip, betraying his own shock at the news. "That's right. Deling is dead and a new President is carrying on his work. I know this because I was there when it happened. I was arrested because I, along with a few others, attempted to stop her before she could do worse things than even Deling himself could possibly imagine."

"She's right!" someone from the back exclaimed. "I overheard the guards mention something about a Sorceress. They sounded like she'd been ordering them around or something.

"You can't possibly believe that," the red-headed man asked, though the tone of his voice changed. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself that this was still a trap. "She's a great liar, I'll give you that but a _Sorceress_? You know how rare and few between they are? Why would a Sorceress kill Deling and take over the country? Why would he even let her do it? It sounds like some messed up fairy-tale to me. And even if she is in charge, then this place is probably the safest in the whole damned country."

He then pointed towards Quistis, his features taking on a look of accusation. "And this bitch claims to have tried to stop her when an army probably would have easily stepped aside. You look young lady, maybe even a little naïve but you most definitely are out of the league of an actual Sorceress, even if what you say is true."

"You've been here quite a long time, haven't you?" Quistis asked after a moment of deliberation. She knew they didn't have the time to be arguing but this man appeared to be this group's spokesperson. If she managed to convince him of the truth then the others were likely to follow. "So I take it that means you haven't heard of SeeD."

"I have!" the girl with the braids and the glasses spoke up. "They're a special mercenary force for hire, one whose been repeatedly hired to fight the Galbadians. Last I heard when I was on the outside, Deling _hates _SeeD with a passion and would do anything to stop them. Sounds to me that joining forces with a Sorceress would be something that would interest him if it'd get rid of SeeD."

"So SeeD's the big bad bogey man of the dictator," the red-head snorted. "Big deal. What's that got to do with anything?"

"All I'm asking is why would I lie then?" Quistis asked very pointedly. "How could I possibly be a Galbadian spy bent of lowering your self-esteem even more so than it is already if I were a member of SeeD in the first place?"

* * *

He clenched his jaw, willing himself to remain calm but it was becoming a struggle to do so.

Opening the door had been the easy part. After the panel had been removed it had just been a matter of matching wires with the corresponding wire and then 'open sesame' – he was in. He'd figured that convincing the other prisoners would be cake in comparison but he had been proven wrong when the old fat guy who seemed to declare himself the official spokesperson had argued with him, assuming it was a trap and that Zell had been elected the bait.

So it had been inevitable to spill the beans about where he was coming from. He knew the Garden wouldn't like it, what with SeeD depending on anonymity the majority of the time but if it got these assholes to actually listen then it was the only card left he had to play.

Unfortunately, judging by the looks of the faces that were currently staring at him, he somehow doubted that they believed him. This point was accentuated when fat ass started laughing. "_You_? A _SeeD_?" His whole tone dripped with disbelief and the brawler resisted the urge to bristle, feeling his hands clench on either side of him. "One of the mercenaries who took on big bad Deling _himself?"_

The elder man, whose hair was greyer and thinner than any of the old people who lived in Balamb, snorted derisively. "If you're SeeD, then Deling and Adel had some kind of love child and their custody battle was the last Sorceress War!"

He chortled even louder, the sound mingling with the blood pounding between the youth's temples as he grappled with his temper. The guy was ignorant. He probably never met a SeeD before, otherwise he'd realize that one was hard-pressed to meet a member of the mercenary force who was older than thirty-five years _and _still worked actively in the field. Most people made the mistake of believing SeeD was just like any military faction in the world, one that trained people when they hit their teens and grew more and more experienced, the most experienced soldiers being in their mid to late twenties. With graduates of the Garden normally hitting seventeen before being sent out onto their first mission, it was usually a shock when they encountered clients and enemies alike, or so Zell had been told.

Not only that, but Deling had been elected _after _the second Sorceress War had come to an end, _after _Esthar's disappearance. He didn't know how bad off the Galbadians had been before the war, but he knew the late dictator was responsible for all the shit that had happened once it had concluded. Zell enjoyed a private laugh out of this man's stupidity.

These two very valid points did not distil the brawler's rising anger though, no matter how many times he reminded himself that it didn't matter what they said or thought. Okay, he was probably the greenest SeeD who had ever been sent out on a mission. He knew that, but he sure as hell wasn't about to admit it. In all honesty, the brawler had no clue why he, Squall and Selphie had been sent out in the first place, not when they were supposed to be undergoing further training to ensure their preparedness for the field.

While the fat ass continued to laugh at his expense, the rest of the group simply stared at him with dumb expressions plastered in their features. He wasn't completely surprised that some of these folks had no idea what SeeD was or what he was even talking about. Most of them probably hadn't seen daylight in the last two decades and SeeD had only been around for just over one. Their ignorance could be explained, but at least they weren't openly mocking him.

The big guy leaned in close – he was a full head taller than the brawler was – still laughing as sweat pooled his forehead from the overhead lighting. There was next to no air circulation within the room, and even less AC, so it made everyone in the room sweat like pigs out in the sun. Zell's glare darkened as the stupid guy invaded his personal space, but he refused to back away, even as the smell of the guy's sweating arm pits invaded his nostrils. "Face it kid, SeeD's a great force who stands up to assholes like Deling. You're just some snot nosed punk playing at being one."

Raising a hand as he leaned back out and away, he stretched it forward, his finger extended in what could only be presumed as an attempt to poke Zell in the nose. The younger male reacted far quicker and with reflexes he couldn't _possibly _have possessed he reached up and gripped the wrist of the invading hand tightly stopping its progression just barely out of touching distance. The brawler's facial features remained the same, hardened and darkened from the jabs and the insults. It was almost as if he hadn't made the move at all.

The man flexed his fingers and tried to yank his arm out of the strong grip, a look of shock showing in his features. His eyes also held a twinge of fear, a sign that he realized he'd just bitten off way more than he bargained for. Zell did not relent, did not relax his grip but instead tightened it, causing the prisoner to wince in pain and alarm. "Have you ever _met _a SeeD before?" Zell asked calmly. He knew if it had been any other situation, he would have started swinging his fists but instead he was trying to imagine just how Squall would have handled the situation. This seemed to fit in nicely and he noted how the rest of the prisoners tensed in alarm, waiting to see what would happen to their spokesperson. "Would you be able to point one out in the middle of a crowd _just _by looking at him?"

The man didn't answer the question. Instead he continued his struggles at releasing his arm but to no avail. Zell took it as his answer however. "No? Didn't think so. Don't judge a book by its cover, or else it might bite you in the ass."

With that, he suddenly released his grip, causing the man to fall back and onto his rear, his head collided with the floor with a loud clank. It was a miracle the man stayed conscious, but the brawler blamed it on his thick skull. He stepped to the side, so that he was no longer barring the exit from the prisoners. "Anyone who wants to go home and get out of this hell hole, go ahead. Be my guest. I won't stop ya. If you don't trust me, then stay here and rot. It doesn't matter to me either way."

And with that, Zell stalked out of the cell, leaving behind the puzzled prisoners before stopping a few feet away. He took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, craning his neck from left to right in an exercise to release tension. He had been so close to breaking that guy's wrist, and then the plan would've been less effective because none of them would've wanted to come with him. At least this way they were open to his suggestion and he _still _got to show up the jackass.

He heard footfalls from behind but kept his attention in front of him. That didn't stop him from looking out the corner of his eye and, sure enough, the prisoners in the cell started climbing out of the room. They were cautious about it, but that made him all the happier. At least they wouldn't get recaptured right away, if ever.

So despite the rough situation, he grinned before reversing the expression. He couldn't let them think they were doing exactly what he wanted them to. If they realised they were being used then they'd turn on him. Whether or not they were fighters was inconsequential if they had the numbers to give him a hard time.

* * *

Rinoa resolved to herself that the next time someone told her that something was easy, she would most assuredly ask for proof.

Her arms strained with the pressure of having to haul herself up along the rope that seemed to bite into the flesh of her hands. She winced as the material dug into an already opened wound or cause a new one and bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out in her pain. It would be even worse if they managed to get themselves caught.

If Squall or Selphie were having a difficult time climbing, they weren't saying anything. Both appeared to be focused on reaching the upper floor. The only saving grace was that they only had a couple of floors to scale.

The sounds of battle didn't dim even as they climbed further up into the prison. It seemed as though Ifrit wasn't limited to just one floor and was continuing his rampage to the upper levels. That was a blessing, at least they didn't have to worry about soldiers shooting at them while they were prone.

Still, she couldn't help but think she was one of those stupid contestants from one of those stupid reality contestant shows where they were forced to compete in some perverse challenge for power. She'd always loved watching these kinds of shows because it had seemed like a lot of fun and she'd always rooted for her favourites and booed at the 'villains'. Even if her favourites didn't make the final two or didn't walk away with the money, it was still something enjoyable to do to make the time pass quickly.

Now she found herself wishing she had decided to exercise more than simply watch other people attempt these stupid stunts. She knew that despite how in shape she felt, she wouldn't have lasted very long in the competitions from those reality shows. Squall and Selphie on the other hand would have been fierce contenders for the lump sum the winners would receive, and probably would've been viewed as competition from early on. They were climbing as though they'd done so their whole lives (which wasn't to say that they didn't, since Rinoa had no clue exactly what their training regimes entailed) and without complaint, a sight that was most definitely making her feel like a lazy couch potato. Comparing their current predicament to television programs sure as hell wasn't helping matters and so she forced herself to stop.

But as they neared the railings that signalled they were a mere floor above from where they'd first started, Squall and Selphie stopped their assent, interchanging their attention from the railing above to Rinoa's position below them as she struggled to continue to climb. By the time she managed to catch up to them, she was out of breath, her hands were stinging and sore and she desperately despised mountain climbing. This experience had most definitely ruined the outdoor activity for her.

Rinoa would have asked why they'd stopped but the sounds above gave it away. Ifrit had managed to beat them to the upper floor and was currently tearing into the soldiers and guards who had been stationed there to intercept them. They were distracted but the looks on the SeeDs features told Rinoa they were still concerned with being spotted during mid-ascent. Rinoa was too because it was a long drop to the bottom, one that she did not want to have to experience first-hand.

Squall removed his left hand from where it had been gripping the rope his harness was connected to and held out his arm with three fingers raised. Rinoa saw this as instructions to wait for his signal and nodded silently, refusing to give their position away with a verbal affirmation. Seconds later, Squall mirrored the same action with Selphie, and the diminutive SeeD nodded one before he counted down. When he lowered the last finger they proceeded to haul themselves further up so that they were eventually at eye level with the railing.

Her earlier thoughts had been proven correct. Ifrit had most assuredly beaten them to this floor, because he was charging around on all fours, swatting at the fleeing soldiers with swipes from his massive clawed-hands and spitting blasts of fire in the direction of those who were too far from reach for him to slash. The air was filled with the screams of terrified and dying soldiers and it was all Rinoa could do to keep quiet and block out the sounds, directing her gaze upwards. They were so close now…

She followed Squall and Selphie's actions as they continued to pull themselves up higher and higher, eventually rising up so they were looking down on the chaos that Selphie's GF was causing. But then, just as she thought they were out of the woods, a surprised shout drew her attention to her right and she realized with a sinking stomach that the soldiers were indicating their presence.

"Hoo-boy," Selphie breathed out grimly, the only indication that she had seen them. Moments later, the sounds of peoples screams were overshot by the explosive report of gunfire streaming in their direction.

Rinoa couldn't help it and screamed reflexively as she clung to what was now her only lifeline with eyes shut tight. The sound of bullets wised by her, she could feel how close they were just from the burst of wind that sprung forth caused by their movement and the sensation caused her to flinch as each one seemingly missed their target. Opening her eyes a crack, she couldn't fathom just how it was they could miss such a glaring target that they were.

She realized then and there that the way they were positioned was blocking most of the shots from coming in her direction. The soldiers behind her were still distracted by Ifrit, so much so that they hadn't even noticed their presence. Squall and Selphie were both blocking her bodily. The latter had her hand outstretched and raised, the bullets that should have cut her into ribbons were instead being held back by a protect spell. It was causing some of the bullets that had been aimed appropriately to simply clip the shield and the sudden interruption of their velocity was causing them to miss the other two.

"Rinoa!"

The raven-haired girl's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Squall's voice, but the urgency in the tone was what had jarred her. She looked over at the Squad leader – who was a few inches higher than she was – and realized he had been trying to gain her attention for a while now, whether it was a few seconds or a full on minute she would probably never know. He had even started to indicate towards his harness, probably thinking that movement would gain her attention better when yelling at her was doing little else.

She thought for a second he thought there was something wrong with her harness and she looked down reflexively to inspect it further, only to realize it was still in working order. The bullets hadn't hit it, not even once. That in itself was a miracle and she turned her confused gaze back at him, wondering what the big problem was.

But that was when the words he was yelling in her direction finally sank in.

"Get out of your harness!"

A retort was on the tip of her tongue as she stared at him like he was crazy but she had known Squall long enough to realize he wouldn't tell her something so stupid sounding without a valid reason. Noticing that his gaze kept shifting upwards, Rinoa slowly looked up to see what had captured his attention when her jaw dropped in sudden realization.

The bullets had missed her by some kind of small miracle, but the rope that was holding her suspended in the air hadn't been so lucky. One of the bullets had torn through the side of the rope with such a force it had been cut. A tiny shift was the only indication that the tear was getting wider because of her added weight.

Frantically, almost panicky, Rinoa set to work unlooping the straps that kept her in her protective harness. Her fingers shook as she went through the motions and more than once she confused herself with all the loops and the straps that kept her locked in place.

Registering movement from her right, she refused to diverge her attention away from the task at hand, but paused momentarily when gloved hands started working at undoing the straps of the arm she had been working on. When she looked up, she realized Squall had propelled down and was helping her work out the kinks, even as the rope tore further and almost knocked her down and out of reach. Still he persisted and finally her right arm was free.

Rinoa set to work releasing her other arm with the SeeD's help, Selphie's shouts telling them to hurry seeming slow and sluggish as time crawled at a snail's pace. She didn't want to die, especially from dropping the height of the prison, _especially _when they were so close to freedom she could almost taste it.

Finally her left arm was free, but at the very moment she felt relief, the rope finally broke apart completely. With a scream, her stomach leapt to her throat as she entered free-fall, only to stop abruptly as Squall caught her by the wrist of her left hand. She could only watch helplessly as the rope she had been using, harness and all, fell below and out of view.

A wave of vertigo almost took hold but she forced herself to look up and reach out in order to help Squall raise her higher. She realized after a moment that he was trying to move her to his back and when he reached high enough she gratefully wrapped her arms around his neck, thankful to be in a better position than she had been moments before. A slight choking cough told her she was holding too tightly and she, albeit reluctantly, released her grip to give the SeeD much needed breathing room.

But then there was a sudden shift from above and both youths looked up to realize that Rinoa's rope had not been the only casualty. Whether it had happened before or after the initial onslaught of gunfire, or if it was due to the increase weight it was forced to hold, they would never know. Squall and Rinoa shared an almost comical panicked look before the rope shifted once more, and this caused them to spring into action.

Rinoa screamed, burying her face into the back of his neck in preparation of the drop that was sure to kill them, and it took her a second to realize that they were moving, almost scaling upward. Taking a look around, she realized that was exactly what Squall was doing, more than likely trying to bring them up to the point where they could reach what was left of the rope when it finally tore free.

But he stopped short of their goal, called for her to hold on tight, and then started swinging back and forth. It reminded her of the jungle movies she saw as a kid and it took a little while longer for her panic-stricken brain to process just exactly it was he had in mind. When she realized exactly what though, she hated it almost as much as the alternative. "No way!"

"Just keep hanging on," Squall ordered, ignoring her protests.

"No way! You are absolutely crazy! We'll _never_ make that jump before the rope breaks!"

"We'll never know unless we try," Squall supplied before wincing slightly. She had no idea what caused the action but decided that it wasn't important.

"Oh my god! Don't you _dare _jump, Squall! I mean it. Don't you dare…!"

But what else she would have said was lost as he did just that. Having swung back and forth enough to provide them some momentum, he released his grip on the rope, causing them to go sailing through the air and into the throng of soldiers beneath them. During her panicking, Squall had managed to relieve himself of his own harness because there was no fall back caused by their sudden leap.

"Leonhart," Rinoa shrieked in terror, "I swear to Hyne I'm going to _kill_ you if we survive this!"

And then she collided with a soft body before landing on her side and rolling a couple of feet away from the banister. She stopped short of the wall and when she looked directly ahead of her, she watched as Squall came to a stop flat on his stomach facing her direction.

She was surprised to see him a few inches away from her and wondered briefly who she had collided with, having assumed it to be the squad leader. Looking to her left, she realized it had been a soldier, but the man was lying prone against the wall, groaning in agony from the suddenly collision. Another solder a few inches away from him was in the same predicament.

Rinoa blinked stupidly before redirecting her gaze towards Squall, who simply shrugged in her direction. The raven-haired girl scowled in response, wondering how he could get away with being this nonchalant about almost getting them both killed. "You," she said, speaking through clenched teeth, "are _crazy_."

Squall was momentarily distracted by something from the right and surprised her by remarking, "Nope. But _she _is."

"Woo-hoo!" Came a cry from somewhere above and this time Rinoa did look in the direction before her jaw dropped open at the sight. Clinging onto the only surviving cable that held her suspended in the air _without _her harness on was Selphie, her legs criss-crossed and her arms tightly clenching the object as she swung forward. Only one hand came off the rope and it was to unleash wave of fire magic along the soldiers who were still trying to shoot her down even as she made some sort of jungle cry from yet another one of Rinoa's jungle movies.

The raven-haired girl only had a fleeting moment to wonder if the smaller girl had seen the same one before she was pulled to her feet. "Move, now!"

Rinoa nodded, not needing to be told twice and soon she was following after Squall as he ran full out for the exit. Withdrawing the gunblade, Squall cut a path through the soldiers who were not otherwise occupied by the Fire Guardian Force, leaving Rinoa very little to do but try to keep up with his junctioned speed.

But then Squall stopped abruptly, which caused Rinoa to collide right into him. Instead of knocking him off feet however, she simply bounced off his back and landed painfully on her rear, wincing and groaning as she did. Looking around the Squad leader however provided the reason he had stopped. Three guards blocked their path, their weapons armed and ready to take them out if they so much as even looked at them funny. Squall was good, but he would only have enough time to take out one of them before the others cut him down.

But then there was a roar from the right and the guards only had a moment to turn their heads in the direction before Ifrit reappeared, lashing out with a swipe that sent the three men hurtling into the nearby wall. Two of the men didn't get back up. The third rose to his knees, took one look at the GF and then ran full pelt past the two teenagers and back towards the stairs that led further down.

Now it was only the GF who bared their path up the stairs and, seconds later, an excited shriek reminded them of the remaining member of their group. Ifrit simply stayed his ground and then Selphie appeared, landing in the outstretched grip of the Fire GF bridal style.

"That was _fantastic!_" Selphie cheered from her lounging position as Squall and Rinoa exchanged glances between one another. "Can we do it again?"

"You're right about one thing," Rinoa quipped. "You really _aren't _the crazy one of the three of us."

Selphie simply stuck out her tongue and beamed in their direction.

* * *

So far, the plan was working out way better than he'd originally intended.

He had Zell had taken this floor while Quistis had taken Shiva with her to the floor below. His biggest concern had been the lack of firepower but it'd be a whole lot quicker if they spread out and covered more ground.

Besides, that was what Diablos was for and even though he scared the living shit out of him, the devil-GF was more than happy to take out a few soldiers and draw their ire away from the two of them.

So in that respect, Irvine and Zell had gone about opening the doors to the prisons and releasing the people who were locked inside. At first he couldn't believe the overcrowding that he had witnessed, but he hadn't been near as disgusted as Zell had been, something he attributed to the rumours that had spread about the place from Galbadia Garden. The brawler had looked devastated to know that even as many as a dozen people where holed up inside one cell, even growing pale at the knowledge but he'd managed to contain himself and do what he'd set out to do. He even seemed to be more encouraged to do so.

But unlike Zell who had met with resistance with every room he'd gone into, Irvine had had a right old time of convincing prisoners to get a move on, and they did so lickity split, almost stumbling over themselves in order to follow his request. It wasn't until the third cell he had come across that he'd realized his weapon had been drawn out and the sight of it had given them very little invitation to argue.

Still, even after having the sense of mind to re-holster his weapon after blowing the locking mechanism to shit no one had had a problem with him. Call it a flair of charisma or a charm that many people lacked but whatever the reason, Irvine liked it just fine.

He was a more than just a bit concerned, however, when it looked like the other two were taking their sweet time. This whole plan was a means of _reducing _the time it took to bypass the guards and reach the bottom. He wondered if they were trying a more diplomatic approach, but also figured that the guards were gonna make their way on over sooner or later, GF interference or not.

And as though they'd been summoned, the guards and soldiers appeared all armed and ready to fight. But the moment they took in the sight of the loose prisoners behind the sharpshooter they had paused, almost seeming to re-evaluate the situation.

But it was the prisoners who had first sprang into action, rushing in a way that almost knocked the lanky teenager right off his feet as they charged towards, not away, from the people who stood in the way of their freedom. Irvine had thought he would be forced to rally the masses into attacking their prison-keepers but that apparently was not the case. Fuelled with an anger, a hatred, a _loathing _that had probably been the reason they had lasted as long as they had, the freed civilians went all crazy-like and rushed the guards with fists in the air wounding off a war cry that was both feral and territorial.

Irvine's gut sank though when he spotted the guards raising their guns and opening fire upon the crowd. He had the mindset to duck and attempt to navigate his way through the throngs of people as they suddenly broke off their advance in what appeared to be a panic. Ducking behind the wall encasing the stairwell he had come out of, Irvine held his hat down and tried to think of a means of escape. The guards and soldiers were rightly sound in their response, since this prison was supposed to be inescapable. He doubted they wanted to discover what the response to their failure would be, nor did he intend to stick around to find out.

The ones at the front of the charge had fallen victim to the rain of gunfire that had assaulted their bodies and lay in heaps along the ground as their impromptu comrades in arms scattered and ducked away to prevent themselves from befalling a similar fate. The guards kept shooting, assured that they held the advantage but he heard a startled shout from the opposite end of the hall. From the sounds of it, reinforcements had arrived and now the guards and soldiers were totally flanked and outnumbered by at least a hundred bodies to one. There was no messing with those odds.

Now all there was left to do was ditch the mob and leave them to their devices while he and the SeeDs hightailed it to the bottom. But it was sure as hell gonna be difficult to do that when there were a sea of bodies blocking the way.

So he backed away from the crowd slowly with the intention of manoeuvring behind and around them. The floor itself was one giant circle, but there were cells on all sides and more than likely some of the smarter civilians had decided to increase their numbers by busting everyone else out. He tried to appear almost inconspicuous in comparison to everyone else, which was why he hadn't withdrawn his rifle from the inside folds of his trench coat yet. Still he was careful to not make a sound or even sudden movements as he progressed his way behind the journalists, editors and civil rights activists that filled the halls and continued to grow in number. He was right about his earlier assessment as he noticed at least two others trying to rip off the panel that would allow them entrance to the surrounding cells.

Irvine snorted. He hadn't even bothered with the panel, instead opting to shoot the thing to shit and had short circuited it that way.

But as he figured he was finally making some headway his stomach sank even further at the sight of more soldiers emerging from the very stairwell he had been attempting to escape into. They took one look at him before priming their weapons and it had been luck that caused the bullets to miss as the sharpshooter dove behind the railing surrounding the gap in the floor. Through the gap he could make out more soldiers and guards defending themselves against the prisoners that had been freed from their respective cells and decided that these soldiers were probably attempting to gather reinforcements to save their comrades.

But then there was an indignant shout from across the gap and when he chanced a look he watched as a white and blue blur suddenly appeared. Irvine found himself thinking he must've blinked because one minute the blur was there and the next the two guards who stood at the front of the line were shooting up into the ceiling above as Zell had pushed the weapons off kilter. Then Irvine blinked again because said two guards were on lying on the ground and the brawler was tossing the submachine guns they had originally been armed with to either side of him before lunging forward and taking out a third.

Then magic flew up from behind the soldiers and guards, coating the ground with a layer of ice that forced the soldiers – who had been in the midst of intercepting the brawler as he attacked – to slip and slide around like kids on an ice rink. There were mingled screams from the back as the ground suddenly dissolved out from under them, sending them plummeting down to the floor below.

In the pathway stood Quistis, who gestured for them to make their way over to her. Shiva was nowhere in sight, which had to mean the elder girl had recalled the GF. Deciding to take her advice, Irvine turned around, produced the rifle from his trench coat and opened fire to cover their escape, even as he caught sight of Zell jumping the gap behind him. He fired off a couple more rounds before he copied Zell's action, leaping the gap and just barely managing to make it to the other side with his balance intact.

"Watch out!" Quistis shouted in warning before she pushed passed the two men and stood right where the ground had given way. Folding her arms across her chest the extended the arms forward, hands cupped together like she was holding onto a bowl. Irvine expected to see magic burst from her palms and towards the advancing guards who'd had the gumption to look in their direction. He was sorely surprised when five small balls of energy appeared, shooting from Quistis' outstretched hands and in the direction of the advancing soldiers. They were even more surprised at the sight than the sharpshooter was and skidded to a stop, one of them tripping over his feet and landing on his rear-end in his panic, before retreating, the strange balls of light following away before shooting lasers after the men.

"Hurry!" The blonde girl shouted before Irvine could even ask her what the hell had just happened. Not knowing what else to do, Irvine opened fire once more with the rifle before giving it up for loss and retreating after the girl. Zell was following after them, no doubt eager to get away from the action behind them. They completely bypassed the next floor, though the sounds of fighting from behind the security door proved that it had not remained forgotten.

"Five floors down," Zell said through what sounded to be a victorious grin. "Three more to go."

The trio finally managed to stop just before reaching the next floor down. Irvine was grateful and allowed his hands to rest against legs as he leaned forward and panted for breath. Neither Quistis nor Zell were even winded, a trait Irvine had to equate to the GFs.

"You say that like it was easy," Quistis remarked with a sigh as she leaned against the wall behind her. "That took way too long this time."

"True, but it got the job done," Zell said with a shrug.

"Should be enough of them up top ta keep them guards and soldiers distracted," Irvine said through quick intakes of breath. "Reckon they'll be more concerned with a riot than with us now, s'pecially if they're smart enough ta release more prisoners."

"So we proceed straight to the bottom then?" Quistis asked.

Irvine nodded once before forcing himself to stand. His legs still burned from all the running and he was still a bit winded, but they couldn't afford to wait for him to recover properly. He'd have to make do. "Alrighty, let's hop to it."

* * *

Not even bothering to stop at any of the remaining floors, it was a small wonder that Rinoa was winded by the time they reached the top level.

The climb itself had been almost unbearable but pair it to having to run full out in order to keep up with the two SeeDs in her group, it caused her to collapse into an exhausted heap at the very top of the stairs, regardless of Selphie and Squall's insistence that they had to hurry. She was damned tired and no good to them at all if she couldn't keep up and perform. They could wait a minute or two.

Even as she struggled for breath, Rinoa resolved then and there that she most definitely needed to get into much better shape, particularly if she were to continue hanging around with these SeeD people. It was between exercising or, somehow, manage to acquire her very own Guardian Force. Either option would have most definitely made the latest adventure all the easier.

To further prove her point, neither SeeD appeared particularly bothered by their previous escapades. It was like the climb and their escape from the soldiers had been more than a walk in the park than anything else. Rinoa envied them for their strength but she would never want to actually be in their position at any point in her life. She couldn't imagine working jobs that didn't matter to her at all just to earn a paycheque. Her stomach swelled with pity at the thought but she pushed back the feeling with some difficulty, knowing that this was hardly the time or the place to be dwelling on these matters.

While he waited for Rinoa to recover, Squall appeared to be taking a look around the area in case there were soldiers lying in wait for them. Rinoa didn't see anything out of the ordinary and after a moment the Squad leader seemed satisfied with his findings. He gestured for them to keep moving and they climbed the stairs that would lead them up and further away from the cell blocks holding the other prisoners.

Not much had changed since she'd last visited the room, despite the amount of time it felt like had passed. The room was actually comprised of a bunch of smaller rooms and another set of stairs located on the opposite side. The walls, ceiling and floor were coated a dull metallic blue (just like the rest of the damned prison) and there were a lot of terminals along the side, probably to work some kind of machinery. The one thing that stood out from the dull surroundings, however, was the blood that stained the ground near the very centre of the open expanse. It didn't surprise Rinoa, as she'd seen it when she'd first arrived, but it still caused a knot to form when she took in the sight. It was also very strange to her that the bodies that had littered the area were now missing.

"Someone went to town," Selphie commented offhandedly as she reached the top of the stairs. She looked around the rest of the place, probably taking in the surroundings.

Rinoa frowned thoughtfully. She'd assumed that one of the others had had something to do with the stain. Squall also appeared somewhat surprised at the sight and she could tell that meant the SeeDs in her company had been uninvolved. The latter SeeD covered up the shock with an indifferent expression that Rinoa assumed to be a means of saving face, and paid no mind at all as Selphie inspected the area a little further. Strangely though, the area was quiet and void of any guards.

She wasn't knocking it though and, despite how callous or insensitive the thought was, they had more important things to worry about than a stain on the floor. So without a second thought, Rinoa moved the distance from the one set of stairs to the opposite end of the room.

"This way," she instructed and wordlessly the two SeeDs followed her.

The act reminded her of her earlier remarks about the mercenary force right in front of the Television station in Timber so long ago. That sense of pity came back and she fought it down in an attempt to focus but she couldn't help herself. From how she understood things, SeeD members were forced to follow any order given to them no matter how badly they probably wanted to question them. It gave her that sense of imprisonment that she had felt all those years living in the same house as the General without her mother. The only perk the SeeD's seemed to get was the ability to travel to distant places, whereas in her predicament, she had been trapped inside of that suffocating house that the man had called home.

In silence, they climbed the next set of stairs, Selphie holding her nunchaku tightly in her right hand while Squall kept a tight grip on the handle of the gunblade. Rinoa activated the pinwheel strapped onto her left arm, the buzz of the blade rotating cutting through the still air and kept her arm ready in case she needed to act quickly. However, once they neared the top of the stairs, Squall signalled them to stop while Selphie closed her eyes. Rinoa didn't understand what she was doing, but then the smaller girl opened them and stared fixedly up at the ceiling. Rinoa went to ask what was happening, but Squall shushed her before she could make a sound and the girl huffed in frustration. She guessed she ask about it later, but she didn't appreciate being shushed.

Selphie stared up at the ceiling for what felt like a while before she blinked and nodded in response. Rinoa wondered what was so fascinating about a ceiling but couldn't voice her thoughts. By then Squall gestured for them to continue. What the fuss was all about, the resistance fighter was convinced she would find out soon enough.

Rinoa couldn't remember what she and Irvine had been passing when they'd made their rush down the stairs because they had been so focused on finding the others. As a result each floor they'd passed had felt more like unnecessary background than anything else. The only time they'd stopped to think of something else had been in the storage locker when she had found Squall's jacket.

So when they rose up from the stairwell and onto the next floor, Rinoa couldn't help but take in her surroundings once more. The current level, like the floor below them, was much more like an open expanse. But it lacked the number of rooms and storage area. There were computer terminals and consoles that were lined up along the far side of the room she was facing and to her left; the whole space was a circular shape like every other room in the prison. In the centre of the floor was a very large imprint of the Galbadian symbol and to the far right side of the room was a large door. Light was filtering in through the cracks of the object, making that side of the room appear brighter than the rest.

"The exits out that way?" Squall asked suddenly.

Rinoa jumped at the sudden disruption of silence as she was jarred out of her own thoughts. Taking a moment to allow the question's meaning to register, Rinoa nodded before he spoke again. "Then we'll clear a path for the others and hold our position while they catch up."

Rinoa nodded. There was nothing wrong with that plan so she felt that words weren't necessary, but by then he'd turned his back on her and, like Selphie, was making his way towards the door. Sighing, Rinoa followed after them and soon they were standing in front of the only obstacle remaining between them and their freedom. It didn't stand a chance when Selphie waved a hand in front of her. A lightning bolt fried the locking pad adjacent of the metal object and a moment later, the door opened, permitting them to leave as the box sparked almost angrily at its treatment.

Selphie was about to walk through it, but stopped suddenly before turning to look at Squall. Rinoa couldn't figure out what was stopping the pair from just walking through that door, but Selphie spoke up before she could voice her concerns. "This… Feels _way_ too easy."

Squall sighed heavily, his gaze never leaving from out the door. "No guards to cut us off, and nothing standing in the way of us walking out that door." With another sigh, he finally looked away from the light the outdoors was letting in. "I agree. The guards may not have expected us to make it this far, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't have been prepared for our presence just in case."

Rinoa bit her lip in contemplation. They had a very valid point. D-District was known for its low (or rather nonexistent) escape rating, and it wasn't like they were just gonna let them walk out of there and become the first ones to do what so many others before them had failed to. In her optimistic desire to finally leave this place behind, she hadn't even taken into account the possibility that the Galbadians were laying out some kind of trap.

"Well there's nothing _in_ here," Selphie said as she took another look around. "I would've seen bodies and booby traps through the scan spell. That might mean they're waiting _outside _for us. But that doesn't make any sense at all. We've got cover from in here. You'd think they'd know that."

"They may prefer to take us back alive," Squall pointed out. "They went through great lengths to heal me in order to get information about SeeD. It's doubtful they would let all that go to waste so easily."

"There _was_ an announcement earlier that said to kill us if we resisted," Selphie nodded thoughtfully. "It makes sense when you put the two thoughts together."

Rinoa suddenly felt very useless as the two SeeDs continued their conversation. She had nothing to contribute whatsoever. She had no ideas of the enemy's location or any thoughts on how to get around it. Her only thought was to stay inside until the others showed up, but if the guards anticipated that, then they could easily have a team standing by somewhere down below. Biting her lip nervously, she took another look around the room with the thought that, perhaps, it would give her an idea of what to do.

Something moving from nearby caught her attention and she turned around to see Squall moving towards the door, his back pressed against the wall beside it once he reached it before he took a look outside. Rinoa had no idea what he was up to, but all the same she didn't think it was a very good idea. He'd barely escaped the brink of death a week ago against the Sorceress and now he was willingly stepping into the line of fire again. It didn't seem fair.

Moreover, it didn't seem right.

Before Rinoa could move towards the door and knock some sense into the SeeD, Selphie stepped in her path and stretched a hand out to block her path. Rinoa frowned in frustration but Selphie spoke up before she could. "He knows what he's doing."

"He _knew _what he was doing when he went up against the Sorceress," Rinoa seethed, surprised at Selphie for making such a comment. "And look how well _that _went."

"I don't like it much either, but we really don't have much of a choice," Selphie countered before winking. "I won't let him get hurt this time. Trust me."

Rinoa couldn't understand where the smaller girl's confidence was coming from. Once Squall stepped outside of that threshold, the ambush was sure to go off. She couldn't bring herself to argue after the declaration however and as a result the silence that came from its wake was left undisturbed. Time seemed to pass by way too slowly, like someone had cast some sort of spell to delay the inevitable.

After a moment of taking in the outside, Squall moved from his perch beside the door and out into the day light, his right arm rising up to stave off the blinding light. The movement went by just as slowly and Rinoa bit her lip as that feeling of trepidation passed over her. Selphie moved closer to the door, but stopped a few feet away from it before crouching down. Rinoa did the same, and realised that they probably couldn't even be seen from this angle. Unfortunately she couldn't see much of the outside, which meant she wouldn't be able to spot anyone hiding from her vantage point. The fact that Squall was situated between the door and her position didn't help matters much either.

Rinoa swallowed the lump that had somehow lodged itself inside of her throat, but it came right back again stubbornly. She was certain that something bad was going to happen, but he'd already been standing outside for close to a minute now and nothing had ensued yet. Still, she couldn't help the same feeling of dread that had come over her the night of that fateful parade from resurfacing, but despite how much she wanted to, she ignored her first instinct of calling him back. For some reason, something was telling her that Squall knew exactly what he was doing, just like Selphie had assured her.

Then Rinoa's world was blasted apart by a loud bang.

* * *

_Sorry if the bit at the beginning seemed to drag on; I just wanted to convey that the prisoners aren't altogether stupid. I also wanted to emphasize the fact that these prisoners are not your average 'run-of-the-mill' bad guys, but people who were imprisoned because of the negative things they reported about Deling. It was something that was only glossed over by the game, and I wanted to expand on the idea a little more._

_That being said, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I look forward to commentary, no matter how critical or harsh that commentary may be. How will I learn otherwise?_

* * *

**09/06/2011 - **_Extended a couple of fight scenes and added a completely new one. Not sure how well it turned out, but I like it on the whole. Managed to extend this chapter from the 6k words it was to a grand total of 11k. Yeah, hope it doesn't scare anyone away._

_Also, Rinoa's thoughts about reality game shows was inspired by Big Brother, a reality show I tend to watch. Just imagining the three of them climbing to the top in order to achieve the covetted 'Head of Household' title just screams an endurance and physical strength challenge and, sadly, I think Rinoa would lose out of the three, but that's only because she's a civilian and not junctioned. Squall and Selphie in particular I can imagine duking it out. Sad, I know. _

_Also managed to finish and post this 2 days after my birthday. Yeah..._


	12. Chapter X: Shifting Sands

**Edited: **_06/22/10_

* * *

**Chapter X:  
Shifting Sands**

* * *

The travel to the first floor from the third was far quicker than the rest of their journey had been in comparison. But that could easily be blamed on the knowledge of the trio simply abandoning their original plan to deter the enemy soldiers and simply proceeding down to the level that would take them to the crane.

But their plan had most definitely not been a waste of time since they still had yet to be pursued by their prison keepers. She mentally cheered at the thought, and she could be sure the others were doing the same thing, even if it wasn't betrayed by their facial features. The relief at not being intercepted by the soldiers was apparent by the slight slumping of otherwise tense shoulders. Still, they remained alert, knowing that they weren't out of the woods yet. There could very well be a reception waiting for them in front of the crane, having expected them to attempt this course of action. She was grateful that the other two were at least taking this situation seriously.

While attempting to release the other prisoners and deter the soldiers pursuing them, they had been fortunate to avoid any of the roaming monsters the guards kept stocked within the prison. For this Quistis was especially relieved, because having had first-had experience in fending off the flying carnivorous birds called Thrusteavis, or the snapping lizard-like Geezards that normally roamed rocky arid environments, or even the dangerous plant-like Ochus who dwelled in damp forests in addition to the rampaging Wendigos made her want to avoid monster encounters at all costs.

Unfortunately, as though they were trying to make up for the lack of monster encounters, they were forced to contend with the enemy robots the Galbadians set on them. It was far worse. Amongst all the chaos on the previous floors, the robots were by far the biggest and most annoying obstacle they had to contend with since their attempted escape began. It almost made her want the monsters instead, because at least they weren't smart enough to study their enemy and to adapt to the situation should they find themselves at a disadvantage. Monsters simply saw them as a means to feed their stomachs, instinctual and impulsive as they were.

As they neared the bottom floor, their movements slowed with their weapons in hand. Creeping along with their backs against the wall, their breathing stilled as much as possible before she drooped the whip in her hands as low as it could go before angling it slightly to be able to see out beyond the stairwell. What was reflected from the surface were a group of soldiers surrounding the gap, their firearms levelled and at the ready. Should they clamber down the steps, they would immediately get assailed by bullets.

But along with the guards were a couple of yellow box-shaped trash-bin looking robots with punching gloves for hands. Quistis cursed lightly, recognizing the machine as one of the more troublesome model's they'd been forced to contend with. The GIM47N was modeled to be a short-ranged tank. It could take a lot of damage, but it could dish it out just as well. The trio had figured out the hard way that there were only less than a handful of vulnerable spots. It was better to puncture the armour, cause a hole wide enough to fry it with thunder spells.

There was no sign of the other robot, the sleeker GIM52A model that was decided to be a ranged fighter, which had to mean the soldiers and guards were counting on them to protect them should the fight become close range.

Because stealth was out of the question, they would have to overwhelm the forces, keep them from taking advantage of their position. And they would have to act quickly. Quistis surmised that the guards would send the machines out ahead to engage them and fall behind with weapons fire. Irvine could handle that, a ranged sharpshooter against the firepower of the submachine guns they wielded. She frowned at that, knowing that he would at least need protection spells to keep from being torn apart by the blaze of gunfire. Other than that, they could depend on him to keep the guards at bay.

That left Zell and Quistis with the responsibility of dealing with the 47N's. It wasn't a completely terrible scenario. With junctions, Zell could dent the armour and with enough luck tear a hole wide enough for Quistis to sap it with. That would end the fight rather quickly, giving them leave to finish off the human obstacles.

Still, the situation as a whole was most definitely not to their advantage, but they would have to deal with it.

Gaining the attention of the two guys, she briefly signalled the course of action. Both nodded, Irvine raising the rifle as he did. With a sigh, knowing they couldn't possibly wait any longer, the trio emerged from the safety of the stairwell and sprang into action.

The guards spotted them almost immediately. As Quistis had predicted, they signalled the robots to intercept as the youths began to draw nearer to the uniformed men. Irvine focused completely on the men who were scrambling into cover and preparing to return fire. Ignoring him completely once she'd made her assessment, Quistis allowed Zell to take the lead, the brawler charging forward to meet the iron-clad giants in the very centre of the gap that was growing steadily smaller. Quistis covered him with spells that were meant to momentarily divert rather than damage. When she was close enough, she withdrew the chain whip from its place against her hip and slashed out, the blade at the very end connecting with the machine but lacking the force to cause a puncture.

The machine was then forced to contend with Zell, who had leapt the final distance to intercept them and, with his leg raised, connected with his knee to the side of the head. As the 47N attempted to grab him, Zell twisted in mid-air, landed on his hands and pressed both feet against the chest of the machine, causing it to topple backwards, landing on its back. Its legs moved, but it did it nothing to help remedy its predicament. As bulky as the machine was, it became completely helpless when laying on its back, reminiscent to a turtle or the Armadodos from the Tomb just east of Deling City.

Quistis rushed over even as the downed machine feebly attempted to right itself, preparing to somehow tear into the armour enough to finish it off. But as she knelt down beside it, she spotted Zell twist out of the corner of her eye. She looked up just in time to watch as the brawler reared back his fist before propelling it forward in an attempt to intercept the punch that was headed in their direction. Both fists connected, but it was the robot would emerged the lesser of the two, because Zell's fists simply tore right into the machine, exposing wire as gears and debris were forced from it. The result only could have been possible because of the GF's who lent the brawler strength.

It only took Quistis a moment to get over her shock at the sight of the reeling machine, and she quickly sprang into action, throwing a hand out and shooting a blast of thunder right up the exposed arm. The paramagic hit home, lancing up the machine's arm and frying the fragile systems its armour was supposed to protect. It was offline within a minute's time, slumping over like a useless heap of metal.

The soldiers and guards seemed to realize their protective measures had failed, because they shifted their focus towards the two SeeDs. That proved to be a mistake and they soon realized their fatal error after two of the guards suffered shots to the head. Lacking the protective helmets that the soldiers donned, the bullets blasted through skin, through bone plating, tore through brain matter and blasted out the other end. They were dead before they hit the floor.

But shifting their attention back towards the sharpshooter – who ducked back into the stairwell for cover – was also a mistake. It provided Zell, who had been hiding behind the protect spell Quistis had conjured – with the opening he had been waiting for. He sprang out of cover and sprinted with inhuman speed towards the soldiers and guards. By the time they caught sight of him, Zell had already taken out two of their number, smashing a fist into the first before ramming his head into the stomach of the second. Raising his arm, he backhanded a third with his elbow, breaking his nose and shooting cartilage into his brain. Even as he fell to the ground, he was tackling a forth, who had become distracted by the report of Irvine's gunfire, shooting from the safety of the stairwell.

Between the two youths, the guards and soldiers didn't stand a chance.

Quistis paid them little attention however. Instead, she focused on puncturing the armour of the remaining 47N with the blade attached to her chain whip and finished it off with a blast of thunder that shut down its systems for good. Even with junctions, she'd been forced to work through the tear, making it big enough that her attack hit home. So by the time she was finished, the guards and soldiers had been dealt with and were lying atop the floor leading to the crane no longer an obstacle or a problem.

Holstering her weapon, she approached the railing surrounding the gap, the _click _of her steps echoing and disrupting the deafening silence that had fallen in the wake of the enemies' demise. The footsteps that sounded behind told her the other two were following and soon they were all staring below. Even with junctions, she could barely make out the very top of the crane's control room.

Beside her, Irvine whistled, more than likely towards how deep the gap was. Tipping his hat, he gestured below them. "So, how ya'll reckon on getting on down inta that great big hole in tha first place?"

"Well," Quistis supplied in answer as she stepped away from the gap and prepared herself. "To get out, we had to float up. The top of the crane only got us up so far, not high enough to reach the floor, and using each other as a ladder wouldn't have worked since none of us actually have any rope on us. Likewise, jumping down is too risky. It's too dark to judge our landing properly and we could end up doing more harm than good."

"Right," Irvine said through a sigh. The former instructor detected a hint of reluctance in his tone that was backed by what he said next. "And, ah, if tha spell tossus us a curve ball and drops us like a buncha rocks? What then?"

Quistis was more shocked than irritated, mainly because she had expected his reaction far sooner than this point. Having known the sharpshooter for little under a fortnight, she had already surmised that he did not utilize paramagic or Guardian Forces. In fact, the closest he had come to casting spells had been through the use of his specialized ammunition. She was only aware of one other person who even knew of their existence.

As for Irvine, his reaction wasn't so very unexpected. Each of the three Gardens had their own specializations. Trabia was very para-magic based while Balamb focused on the powers and use of Guardian Forces. Because of their contract with the Galbadian Republic, Galbadia Garden was very arms heavy. Of course they taught the basics of paramagic utilization, but mostly they dealt with knowledge of weaponry, its uses and the training that followed. She knew this first hand because Galbadia Garden had been her home Garden prior to her transfer to Balamb. She had decided when she was fourteen that she was drawn more to the unpredictable marvels of magic based attacks, and was dubious that all problems could be solved solely by the weight of one's physical weaponry as equally as Irvine seemed to be in the reliance of spells.

So it was with a practiced patience that she turned to face the sharpshooter's admittedly understandable reservations. "While true the float spell is probably one of the most unpredictable spells, we haven't a lot of time. Unless you've got a rope stashed somewhere we don't know about, this is the only means of reaching the crane."

As she spoke the former instructor began the task of pulling herself up and over the railing. By the time she was done, her back was to her comrades, her hands grasping the metal that sat behind her as she overlooked the darkened hole beneath her. The ledge itself was barely wide enough for her feet to rest completely along the surface and it was far from a comfortable thought. She turned her head, blowing her hair out of her face as she regarded the sharpshooter with a raised finely trimmed eyebrow. "Or you could just wait here until Zell and I somehow manage to get the crane up and running."

Irvine took another tentative look over the edge again with what equated to a sullen sigh. She had known she'd had him convinced even before he started pulling himself over the railing. By this time, Zell was already standing by her side and waiting for their next move, standing as though he'd done this balancing act a million times before.

Once they were ready, Quistis concentrated on the sensation caused from flying and forced the spell to expand so that it would encompass the trio. She could feel it working as feather white wings attached themselves onto her shoulder blades through her shirt and hoisted her up gently from the sturdy ground. Beside her, Irvine made a startled noise as his feet lost his footing while Zell needed no instruction and guided himself further down.

Knowing that Irvine would have no idea whatsoever what to do, the former instructor grabbed the sharpshooter by the arm before guiding them both after the brawler. Irvine gasped in surprised and reached up with his right hand to keep his cowboy hat secured to his head. Shaking her head, completely unsurprised and nonplussed by the action, Quistis focussed her attention of guiding them lower and lower until at last they had reached the top of the crane. She released the spell only when their feet were firmly atop the metal object and the next thing she knew they had reached the very bottom of the level after a short climb from the top of the crane to the ground.

Without missing a beat, Quistis opened up the crane from the outside and proceeded in where she reached the controls, directing her question to Irvine as she did so. "So, you said you know how to operate the crane without the other's help. How do you suppose we do this?"

When she received no immediate answer, Quistis turned around, her folded across her chest as she fixed the sharpshooter an expected look. "Well?"

Irvine mirrored her stance, an eyebrow raised beneath the rim of his hat. "I never said I knew how ta operate tha crane. All I said was ta let me handle it."

Behind him, Zell's expression slacked in his shock but seconds later his features betrayed the outrage at learning they had come down all this way for nothing. They had been closer to the top when they'd fought off the Galbadians shortly after losing the others, now they were farther from their goal than they'd been before. All that fighting, all that running, even releasing the other prisoners – it had all been for nothing.

"Hey now," Irvine said as he raised his hands in his defence. He looked cautiously between the brawler and the instructor, no doubt realizing he'd just become the most unpopular guy in the room. "Beatin' me up sure as hell won't fix it."

"It'll make me feel better," Zell muttered under his breath, barely audible even to Quistis' heightened hearing.

"We're not completely outta luck," Irvine said. "I said I'd handle it and I mean it."

"How?" Quistis snapped. "How do we get out of here when we need _two _people to operate the crane? We can't just possibly _hope _the others'll just hold the fort and wait for us to catch up?"

"Exactly," Irvine said.

This caused the wind to fly out from Quistis' angry sails, leaving her blinking almost stupidly back at the sharpshooter. Behind him, Zell also appeared to be at a loss for words but Irvine didn't allow them any time to recover. "Tha way I figure, tha other's mighta run inta some interference as well, right? And they wouldn't leave us behind, s'pecially not with tha whole prison up in arms about us. So I figured we could radio 'em from here and get one of tha other's ta work tha crane from their end."

"So your wise idea was to _call _them?" Zell asked incredulously. "What if they don't answer? What _then_?"

"We keep tryin' 'til they do," Irvine responded calmly. "More than likely they'll be waitin' on us from tha top, or busyin' themselves against tha soldier's crawlin' in this place. Either way, they gotta still be up there."

Gesturing that he needed to get by, Quistis stepped out of his path as the sharpshooter made his way towards the console, as though the argument had been drawn to a close. He spent a good minute searching for the talk button and when Quistis turned to look at Zell, the brawler simply shrugged, seemingly having no intention of doing Irvine any favours. Her look became pointed and he fixed a sullen look at the wall in response.

Just when she was about to clear her throat however, she heard Irvine make a triumphant noise and suddenly he was speaking. It had to mean that he had found the desired button and when she realized neither she nor Zell were the intended target to the words she knew her assessment had been correct. "Anyone alive up there?"

* * *

Outside of the prison, the desert air made it feel as though he'd walked into an oven. The wooden planks that _thudded _beneath his feet were overrun by the whirling winds that seemed to make the temperature even less bearable. Sand and grit was carried along by the element, making it near impossible to keep one's eyes open past slits. Standing outside in this temperament made him a target for those who were well accustomed to the climate.

Which is why he considered himself lucky that the bullet that had shot out at him had been blocked.

He could see the blue shimmer of the spell that had been cast as the bullet fell harmlessly to the ground below him. He was surprised at the sudden appearance of the protect spell since visibility was terrible and thus he wouldn't have been able to see an attack coming. He didn't doubt one of the girls had had a hand in this. More importantly, it also protected him from the onslaught of sand, allowing for him to see his surroundings better. It wasn't the best visibility, but it was better than it had been.

So Squall used the additionally visual assistance to pinpoint the hidden enemy. He could make out a couple of towers to his left and right, and could assume that the shots were being fired from there. Across the way he caught sight of more soldiers priming their weapons and getting ready to fire.

Deciding that his visual analysis was complete, Squall proceeded to run back the way he came, only to be deterred as gunfire blasted out, catching the spot of the ground his foot would have been fallen seconds later. He skidded to a stop reflexively, bringing his hands up over his head in a response to the suddenly blast, ducking down against the railing and (hopefully) out of sight of the enemy). Unfortunately this proved not to be the case as he felt more than heard another bullet blast off the Protect shield and he became more convinced than ever that some of those shots were coming from the surrounding towers, which looked more like screws than actual buildings.

The angle at which the towers leaned made it difficult to make cover against the snipers posted within the buildings, and even more difficult to return fire properly. More than likely a majority of his attacks would miss no matter what he did while the snipers had the perfect perch to continue to pick him off. Worse was the scan spell, which he would normally fall back on, would do him no good. It was broad daylight outdoors, which meant he would be rendered blind by the infrared effects of the spell temporarily if not permanently.

He scowled to himself as he came to these conclusions. The only thing for him to do was to cast his spells and hope they hit home. But then he thought of something. Why did it just have to be spells? Still ducking down behind the railing that was providing him some cover, he looked down at his feet before nodding to himself, realizing this new idea might work, but it would take him some time to prepare.

He could only hope that he had that long.

* * *

Watching the events unfold in the relative safety of control room six, he sat at his post amidst the surveillance equipment that took up the space along the far wall. Nothing eventful had taken place as of yet, but he was too apprehensive to be annoyed at the boredom. No, he knew something was going to happen. If the prisoners had gotten wise to the layout of the building then this was the only path they would be able to take.

He had a whole team waiting for them. A team of tactical snipers stationed in the guard towers at the very top juncture of the prison, with assisting officers standing by on the decks below, ready and waiting for anyone or anything to come on out and say hello. They would answer back with rapports of gunfire, blasting the escapees into so much dust dental records wouldn't be able to identify them.

He knew better than to assume they had total victory even with this little manoeuvre. The reports that they received identifying the group they had taken into custody had not impressed him so much at the time, in fact when he'd heard of the attempted assassination he had expected more out of SeeD. Three SeeD members fresh on the field, a recently dismissed instructor, a sharpshooter and a wayward civilian would never have been able to stand up to the likes of the Sorceress. The sharpshooter was still presumed missing, but from the surveillance footage he was more than aware that the young man who had escaped capture had come back for his comrades.

Admirable, if stupid.

But seeing them in action he was no longer surprised that they had been the ones sent in. Most of them were still SeeD and what they lacked in experience they seemed to make up for with ingenuity. Two of the girls had lashed out using Guardian Forces when it appeared numbers had been against them and even before that the two guys who had been with them were responsible for a large number of damages, injuries and casualties that the prison forces had already sustained. Granted, the security guards – who had been trained in the event such disastrous results came to fruition – had been reluctant and laid back because no one had ever managed to successfully escape, and that oversight put the ball in SeeD's court.

But he would be damned if this rag-tag team of misfits were the first ever to escape D-District.

The screen before him came alive with gunfire, the scene telling him that the SeeD adventurers had fallen into his trap. Warden Samuel Grayer leaned forward in his seat, his hands gripping the arm rests so tightly they creaked in protest. The lines of his face, distilling age and experience, added to the stress in his features as he watched in apprehension, hoping against hope that they were successful. He had sent a team to the bottom floor to intercept the other half of the escapees and he was getting reports from all over that more prisoners had been let loose and were rebelling against the soldiers, and this was his only hope to restore balance and order within the prison walls.

The Sorceress wanted them alive. It was just too much trouble. Grayer had already concocted the perfect store to tell the Sorceress once he made his report. She would not be happy, especially since they were unable to procure the desired information, but at least it would mean one less threat in the grand scheme of things.

But then he caught the sight of static from the screen that he could not manage to pry his eyes away from and his stomach leapt into his throat. At first he was worried that the sand storm outside was interfering with the surveillance systems again, but he realized that it was only a glimmer and that it wasn't affecting the whole screen. His stomach soared ever higher, threatening to expel from the man's lips as he realized a lone figure situated on the bridge was being surrounded by the conductive energy. The figure was crouched down and through the billowing sand he wasn't able to make out his features clearly, but it was enough to tell that this person was decidedly male.

Then as time continued to crawl he noticed thick blotches of brown something descending from the sky, or at least that's where it appeared to be coming from. It took a little longer for him to realize that it was the sand from the wind storm, only now it had begun to rain causing the gritty substance to moisten and clump together amongst itself, making the rain all the more noticeable through the surveillance footage.

The youth appeared nonplussed that it had begun raining or that he was surrounded by flashes of electricity for that matter. He certainly didn't appear concerned with being a conduit in the middle of this freak storm, where he would most assuredly be killed between both elements making contact with him. But then the youth raised both hands into the air, his arms the only things exposed out of cover that the snipers – outfitted with goggles that helped them see through the sandstorm – could easily take advantage of, only the electric energy surrounding the SeeD rose up and out of his arms and blasted up and out of the range of the cameras stationed in that area.

Quickly, Grayer searched the cameras aimed in that vicinity for any indication of what had just shot out into the sky. He heard the anxious shouts as the snipers and the guards outdoors attempted to answer that very question. And then the radios died down, the only sounds permeating the room was the occasional _crackle _caused by the storm's interference blasting through the communication's device sitting along the console in front of him.

This caused the Prison Warden to tense all the more, knowing that nothing good ever came from an abrupt silence.

And then he heard it over the radios, the shouts of his men as something happened outdoors, something he was as of yet unable to see on the monitors himself. Blasts of gunfire sounded from the radios, mingling amongst the anxious cries of terror. Grayer searched the camera feeds afforded him almost desperate to see what it was that was slaughtering his men. He noted almost absently how the SeeD was ducking down completely. At the angle the camera was positioned, he saw the youth's hands were wrapped above his head and he didn't dare move, didn't dare _breathe _out of turn.

And then he saw it. It was like a demon that blotted out the afternoon sky, with wings that were smooth instead of feathered. It was a mere shadow as it swooped down and careened into Tower one, the shouts and screams mirroring that of the chaos that was taking place before his eyes. Debris showered the skies as guards and soldiers ducked down, watching helplessly as their comrades were destroyed almost effortlessly. Screams tore out from Tower one as the men attempted to jump and save themselves, only to simply welcome their fate. Even as the rubble continued to fall, the explosive sound caused by the tower's destruction still rung in his ears, Tower three was the next to fall, the winged thing blasting into it like a child through a paper bag. More screams filled the air as the beast made a pass by the first tower. Seconds later, blasts of lightning fell from its beak, engulfing the tower in its power before something suddenly burst, setting the tower ablaze.

Grayer could only sit wide-eyed as the monster went about its business, leaving the SeeD alone amidst the chaos and he knew, he suddenly _knew _that the beast had been called down to assist the SeeD, that what he was witnessing with the destruction that was wrought by a Guardian Force summoned to do its masters bidding.

The silence that fell when the dust settled and the screams ceased to sound was deafening. He sat there for a full minute, considering his next course of action. He knew now that nothing stood between the SeeDs and their escape but to simply cross the juncture from Tower three into Tower two. If he activated the controls in front of him, there was a risk that they would escape into the wind, but if he timed it just right, it might spell their doom.

So without any other options, he removed the Plexiglas that shielded it from accidental activation and pressed the button.

* * *

Squall didn't dare move from his perch until he was one hundred percent positive that it was over. He raised his head tentatively, squinting his eyes into slits so he could see through the mud that was dropping from the sky in response to Quezacotl's summoning. Raising his arms above his head if only to stave off the elements, he watched as Quezacotl made pass after pass of the surrounding towers, not only to ensure that none of the guards survived its attacks but in search of a means of escape. As it was, he was trapped between two of the towers – the only tower that remained unscathed from the attacks because he had so ordered it – while the rest betrayed the onslaught that had caused its almost total destruction.

Above, Quezacotl circled around and around like a vulture in the desert as it scavenged up its mean. It's massive silk-like wings blotted out the sun, making it appear as though an eclipse had befallen them all in the midday hour. The heat still beat upon him heavily and he was forced to unzip the jacket he had borrowed from Zell to stave off the warmth. Tentatively, he rose to his feet, slowly and surely in the event that there were guards still around and they were hiding. When he wasn't immediately attacked, he stood more confidently at full height, taking another look at the gruesome destruction that had just taken place. He was unsure of how to feel about this, knowing that he himself had been the cause if not the executioner. He decided that he was becoming desensitized to the violence, to the experience of killing and he was unsure if he liked the feeling.

Quezacotl's passes brought it lower and lower, closer and closer to the SeeD who observed the creature approaching like he would have a distant relative. As the Guardian of Thunder fluttered within the gap that bridged the three towers together, Squall could sense from its gaze that it had found neither resistance nor salvation. They were at a standstill and would need to re-evaluate their escape.

Squall cursed then, knowing that this was only wasting their time and buying the Galbadians more.

Deciding that standing there and lamenting their useless situation would do them no good, Squall returned to the confines of the sole surviving tower. The dimmer lighting gave the surroundings a tinge of green, but otherwise he was unable to see much of anything in contrast to the bright sunlight he had just entered from. He took a while of blinking before his eyes managed to adjust. Dismissing Quezacotl, who disappeared just as abruptly as he had emerged, Squall strode inside, almost mildly surprised that Selphie and Rinoa had moved from their post at the door.

As he pressed towards the room, his sunstruck eyes finally managed to locate the girls, who were standing near a console at the far end of the room. Both appeared to be talking, but Rinoa perked up upon spying his approach. Selphie turned around moments later and offered him a wide-grin that betrayed the relief in her eyes.

"The other's called," Selphie said suddenly. It had looked as though Rinoa had been about to say something, but once the shorter girl had started talking she appeared to think against it. "They wanted us to activate the controls for the crane." The diminutive SeeD frowned suddenly. "It didn't start nearly as quickly as it did for us before."

"We'll have to worry about that later," Squall said grimly, coming at a stop a few feet away. "We have bigger problems."

"Did you see anything out there?" Rinoa asked tentatively.

Squall shook his head. "The guards have been dealt with. The problem is there's nowhere to go."

Rinoa started at this, staring at him almost sceptically and he had to arch an eyebrow in response. "What do you mean there's nowhere to go? I'd say it's pretty obvious, Squall. The _next tower's_ the way out. It shouldn't take us more than five minutes tops, give or take the guards in the area."

Out of view of Rinoa's incredulous gaze, Selphie rolled her eyes. Squall resisted the urge to do the same. The last time Rinoa had estimated the amount of time it would take to reach their destination, she had been at least a couple of hours off target. More to the point, Squall doubted five minutes would even get them past the first barrier let alone the rest of the building. "So you're saying we'll get back down to level ground in five minute's time?" He folded his arms across his chest. "I'd like to know how you plan that little magic trick."

"Back down?" Now Rinoa looked confused and, with another baffled look at the Squad leader, she manoeuvred her way around the SeeDs and strode towards the door leading back out. Selphie ran after her and, checking another sigh, Squall followed shortly after.

But as soon as Rinoa reached the door, she stopped, almost causing Selphie to bowl her over. Squall slowed his approach, but after about half a second Rinoa was pressing forward, stepping out onto the landing and staring at the area in horror and surprise. "This is impossible!" She exclaimed before whirling back around. "I'm _sure _we went the right way. How did we get so high up?"

"Um… we climbed?" Selphie supplied helpfully. Her 'helpfulness' was ignored.

"What are you talking about?" Squall asked in confusion.

"I'm talking about _this,_" Rinoa exclaimed, gesturing behind her to where the bridge he'd stood on moments ago stood out into the otherwise open air that surrounded them all. It, like the other two that connected the three towers together, had remained undamaged by the blasts, though the inner railing of the bridge across from them looked like someone had taken a huge chunk out of it for a snack. "_This _was not like _this _when I came back to the prison, or when Irvine came to pick me up. This wasn't like this at all!"

She looked over the railing before seemingly deciding it wasn't a good idea. When she looked back up, she was pale, almost deathly so. "When I was here before, we were on ground level. These bridges weren't here, and the parking lot was right over there!" She pointed across from them to the tower opposite their position. "I'm sure of it!"

"Well, it's here now," Squall supplied through a sigh.

"I _know_ that," Rinoa huffed almost indignantly. "But _how _exactly?"

Squall frowned thoughtfully, unsure of the answer to that himself. But then Selphie gasped, which brought his attention to the shorter girl, who was pointing almost furiously at the towers across from them. "The towers! Look at them! They look like screws!"

Before either Rinoa or Squall could point out that it was obvious how they looked, Selphie pressed on. "Maybe they're like real screws, and dig into the ground into a mechanism that's been made to accept them. Like we're being screwed in by a giant person holding a giant screwdriver or something."

"That must be the Prison's secret," Squall said aloud. "People have probably gotten out of their cells. The guards are too well prepared for our escape to be a onetime occurrence. And while they tried to stop us, they didn't seem too concerned that we might actually get out."

"The prison submerging and rising might have something to do with that," Rinoa said, though instead of sounding awed, she appeared disappointed. "Keep the prisoner's running around for an escape and tire them out for the guards to catch them. No one's heard of this before, not outside the prison, because no one's made it out to _tell _anyone."

Another thought occurred to Squall and he turned his back as Rinoa spoke, causing surprised sounds to come from the girls. He stalked back inside the tower, his target being the console he had found the girls standing at.

"Uh, care to share with the rest of the class, Squall?" Selphie chirped from behind him. From the sounds of it she had only just entered the room.

"Which button did you press to activate the crane?" Squall asked instead.

"The big yellow one," Rinoa answered slowly. "the one by the speaker on the right hand side."

But before she could question him further, Squall slammed his palm right atop the button and an echoing silence was left in its wake.

Behind him, Selphie and Rinoa exchanged puzzled glances but Squall ignored them both, waiting almost impatiently and almost glaring at the speaker. He didn't know what controls activated the communication's comlink, and nor was he willing to risk dumping them out of the crane in his search for the right button. Who knew how high up they were currently?

There was a noise that was similar to static before Irvine's voice came through loud and crackly. "_Just what tha hell's goin' on up there?"_

"We're at the top," Squall answered. "But there's no way out here. The basement where the crane was parked is now our only option."

"_But there's no way out there either,_" Quistis voice sounded, betraying her confusion. _"We've already checked, it's buried under stand, remember?"_

"Guys, just listen to the man!" Selphie said, from the sounds of it realizing what Squall was thinking. "We're inside one of three towers and they all look like screws. They submerge and rise up out of the sand and keep the prisoners from escaping that way. Rinny says when she was where we are before, they were on ground level and the parking lot was across the way, but _now _the only way to cross the gap is to cross a bridge a bajillion feet above ground!"

"_So wait,_" Zell's voice rung through the air. From the sounds of it, they appeared to have lost the brawler in the conversation. "_So when the submerge system was on, the top was the exit, but when it's off the _basement's _the way out?_"

Selphie nodded, despite the fact that the other three could not see her. "Now you understand."

Zell cursed from the other end. Squall found it to be an appropriate response. "How far up did you guys get?"

"_Only about three floors," _Quistis said, sounding like she was looking. _"If that at all._"

"_What're ya'll gonna do up there," _Irvine asked. _"Ya'll can't be thinkin' o' runnin' down all them stairs again."_

Squall almost groaned. The thought was most definitely _not _appealing.

"Well," Selphie supplied thoughtfully, "if we have to _cross _over anyway, then why not just do it while we're here?" We could probably get our hands on some of that climbing equipment from before and just shimmy our way to the bottom."

Judging by the extreme look of dread that crossed Rinoa's features at the suggestion, Squall decided she was most definitely not in favour of this course of action. Unfortunately they didn't have much in the way of options. It would have to do. "It seems like the best option."

He ignored the indignant look the raven-haired girl threw his way and kept his gaze focused on the console in front of them. "We'll meet at the garage. With any luck there'll be something we can use to get out of this place."

"_Be careful,_" Quistis said.

"We will," Selphie chirped cheerfully before they disconnected the call. With their next objective in motion, they proceeded to the door that led back outside and onto the bridge and left the room behind them.

* * *

_Obviously this chapter's events are very much different from the game. _

_First and foremost is the boss fight in this chapter; originally there were two machines and one red-suited soldier. To me, that seems like a weak defence. Granted, there was still the one thing the Warden has up his sleeve, but even still, I think the Galbadians would have tried a lot harder to catch them, which is why I had snipers up in the guard towers. Again, it's kind of weak, but it's a lot more feesible than having one guard and two machines waiting at the door for you to just come out of it._

_And of course, we all know that they didn't suggest for everyone to try heading back down the stairs; they just kind of proceded with the rest of the game. To me that didn't work out, but my alternative will have to wait for the next chapter. _

_Whether you liked these additions (replacements rather) or hated them, I wanna know, so please leave a message telling me what you liked about it or any other point in the chapter and why. It encourages me when I get feedback (the good kind and the bad). _

_Also, apologies to those who found this chapter was rather short. _

* * *

**09/18/2011 - **_Okay so not only did I manage to extend this chapter by almost 3k words, but I also managed to make the name of this chapter fit more with the events that took place. I always thought that 'Shifting Sand's' seemed almost inappropriate despite the sudden collision with bad luck that took place here. The scene with Quezacotl sort of helps that out I think._

_Also, speaking of the Thunder Bird, its attacks were actually greatly influenced by the 9-11 attacks in New York in 2001. I'm sorry if it seems like terrible taste to have one of the protagonists initiate such an attack on the people who are supposed to be the badguys, but once I started writing the scene it just sort of ran away with me. I hope I didn't offend anyone with this scene, but I'd much rather prefer it to the accurately placed tornado spell that simply threw everyone off their respective towers. Plus, at least this way the D-District Prison doesn't come away without scratches? Sad excuse I know._


	13. Chapter XI: Parting Ways

**Edited: **_06/23/10_

* * *

**Chapter XI:  
Parting Ways**

* * *

The Desert District Prison was Galbadia's pride and joy, second only to the long range missile base located to the northeast. The prison was a symbol, a staunch reminder of the man who had led Galbadia for two decades, of his rule the consequences of crossing him and testing his ire. Many a published journalist found this truth out the hard way over the passing years and a large number of them never knew freedom again. Several of them died within the concrete walls, only knowing freedom in their demise.

It was no secret that no one escaped. Very few did not know of the prison itself. Even the backwaters of Winhill could not escape the rumours of the inescapable fortress that Deling had had made upon his election into office. What had been Galbadia's well-kept secret was the mechanism that raised and lowered the prison below surface level and the seemingly tireless drills that were practiced day in and day out. The mechanism operated so softly and the walls of the prison itself were so thick and insulated that the shift between submerging and surfacing was not noticeable at all. With no windows lending light into the building, the prisoners were unaware of any movement at all.

So when the theory that the building could actually move thus change the location of the entrances and exits, it came as a ground shaking (no pun intended) shock. At the same time it offered an answer to the question that had been at the forefront of everyone's thoughts upon making their initial escape: Why couldn't they find the exit? The discovery was sort of an 'ah-ha!' moment for everyone involved.

The button that was depressed within the confines of control room six had begun a chain reaction within the mechanism, stirring it back to life. Gears turned and propelled the motions of the device, beginning the motions of driving the screw-like structures back deep within the sand dunes of the Dingo Desert, trapping its prisoners deep underground.

No one was the wiser, not even the ones responsible for making this breathtaking discovery. The crane that could transport people and detachable cells between floors with ease reached the very bottom, depositing its passengers back in front of a hall half buried in sand. The bridge that treaded the gap between the pit and the metal plated floor that would normally rest beneath a cell dropped and the trio of teenagers within emerged, preparing to reach the door opposite them into freedom.

He had been more than a little annoyed when the crane had suddenly stopped its ascent but he'd forced himself to calm down once he'd heard the reasonable explanation. He was a cool-headed person anyway so it wasn't difficult. It took something astronomical to keep him fuming for more than a few minutes.

Besides, he was fairly sure that if he tried anything, Squall would most definitely kick his ass, probably without much hesitation.

So by the time they'd reached the bottom, Irvine had cooled down to the point where he was back to his calm and mellow self. Quistis and Zell were only slightly annoyed at the change of direction, or they could have just been mad at him for dragging them downstairs to begin with. He paid them little mind however as he walked down the path leading to their exit, his boots _thunking _against the metal floor until the sound was muffled as he stepped into the sand. He didn't wander why there was sand everywhere, assuming that when the others had come down here previously they had opened the door while they had still been underground. From the looks of it the sand had clotted within the door, otherwise the whole area would've been submerged. When the prison had been brought up above ground, the sand had fallen away from the door on either side, providing them with a view of the sunlight filtering through the now opened door.

But as they neared the door, he suddenly realized something was wrong. For starters, the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel was starting to shrink in size, and it took him a moment to realize that it wasn't shrinking, but rising out of view. The very sight was enough to prove their discovered theory to be true and without wasting the time to make an exclamation the trio broke out into a run as their freedom was slowly rising out of sight.

Irvine was amazed that he had reached the door first, especially when the two SeeDs with him were junctioned to the teeth. Not stopping to marvel at this turn of events, he dove face first into the sand and started to claw his way out the door. It was a difficult trek and more than once he slipped forward, his face colliding with the gritty substance and causing him to spit as it clung to his tongue. Irvine was out into the baking sun before he knew it.

Turning his attention back towards the door he had emerged from, but before he could offer any assistance Zell was already digging himself out of the sand. He coughed and hacked but turned away from Irvine – who had been about to help him up – and started digging in the sand. Irvine was about to ask when he realized exactly what the brawler was up to. Quistis must've still been inside.

Immediately the sharpshooter dove beside the brawler and dug through the burning sand with his fingerless gloves, wincing at the pain but pushing through it, knowing now that time was against them. The weight of the sand was crushing, and if Quistis was completely buried it would be just enough to prevent her from breathing.

The young men dug and dug as quickly as they could, but for each time they managed to push the sand back more dipped further down, doubling out their hard work. "Stand back," Zell finally said before pressing his hands down onto the sand beneath them. Irvine had the feeling that magic was somehow part of the plan and thus wasn't surprised at all when he saw the sand beneath their feet begin to freeze over. He realized Zell was trying to fix it so the sand would stay in place long enough for them to haul Quistis out from the pit, and it looked like it would hold, though not for very long.

Irvine looked through the gap and he could see the top of Quistis' head as clear as day. The blonde girl quickly saw her chance and attempted to scale the ramp, even as the ice was already beginning to melt and clump the sand beneath her. She was about halfway up when the slide started to give way, causing wet clumps of dirt to skid down and forcing her to slip down into the muck. She cursed lightly, even as she attempted to maintain her grip.

Then, Irvine was struck by inspiration as his gaze fell to Quistis' hip. "Quick! Throw me yer whip! Keep hold o' tha handle and we'll pull ya on outta there!"

Quistis didn't argue and quickly un-holstered her weapon before tossing it up and towards them, her grip still on the handle as she threw it in their direction. Mindful of the blade attached to the end, Irvine and Zell both grabbed hold of the chain whip and began to pull even as Quistis climbed up, using the momentum of the boy's tugging to propel her further than she'd gotten before.

They pulled and pulled, the action proving much more difficult than Irvine had initially expected. For starters, the ice had completely melted by then, even to the point where the sand-turned-mud had become more like dirt. Beneath their feet, the sand provided very little traction, causing the brawler and sharpshooter to lose their footing in the substance, barely able to maintain their balance.

Despite their best efforts though, it wasn't long before Irvine lost sight of Quistis altogether as the prison continued its descent further and further below ground. He couldn't stop the panic from rising when the whip suddenly went slack and he couldn't help but think that this was it, that the pounds upon pounds of sand had been too much and compressed Quistis' chest to the point where she could no longer draw breath. A tentative look in Zell's direction told him the brawler was thinking along the same lines.

But then the slack in the whip disappeared and it grew taut once more, almost causing the both of them to lose their grip. Clinging to the hope that Quistis just might be alive, he and Zell pulled with all their strength, backpedalling as quickly as they were able with the sand and finally Quistis emerged from the ground that would have become her tomb. She gasped for air as her head became exposed to the elements. Dropping the whip, both Irvine and Zell rushed to her side and began to work at digging the former instructor free, who was beginning to wriggle and attempt to pry herself out.

He was amazed that she was still alive, but as he dug his way around her he realized exactly how she'd managed to avoid being crushed by the weight of the sand. The light of the sun glinted just off the right angle and revealed the sight of the blue shield that surrounded Quistis' body from head to toe. Irvine realized that the spell was enough of a barrier to prevent the sand from crushing her and to provide her with enough breathing space to keep her alive until she managed to get free. The fact that they had been pulling her up using the whip had helped her chances significantly.

When they finally managed to clear the sand from around her chest, Quistis managed to pry herself up and out of the sand the rest of the way, the gritty substance clinging to her like a second skin. She continued to cough and hack, and shook the sand from her dishevelled locks of hair and it was a little while longer before she managed to recover from the fit. The tense silence was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing from the exertion that came from the rescue and relief flooded him at the notion that they had succeeded.

"You okay, Quistis?" Zell asked once his breathing was back to normal.

Quistis nodded, seemingly unable to speak but she managed to feet after a few seconds. "By all rights I really shouldn't be."

"That was some pretty quick thinkin'," Irvine complimented as he helped her stand. She did so on quaking feet, but she managed to retain her balance. "Using that magic spell ta cocoon ya."

"Right at the nick of time too," Quistis surmised but then she froze, her eyes widening slightly almost as though a thought had just occurred to her. "The others… they mentioned a bridge."

Her gaze went skyward and Irvine followed it above to where he could just barely make out the top of the tower. That was when he realized what she was eluding to.

"Rinoa said there wasn't a bridge at all when she got back here before," Quistis pressed on, feeling the need to explain herself. "What happens if it retracts when the building submerges?"

"They'll drop like flies!" Zell said, answering the rhetorical question needlessly.

"There's a garage further across," Irvine said, pointing straight ahead. He tried to will himself not to panic but it was a fight he was hopelessly losing. "They'll be headin' straight for it. Reckon there'll be a ton o' guards waitin' ta greet 'em if they manage not ta fall."

Now with a clear objective, the trio pushed forward against the sand that slowed their movement, knowing that any further delay could spell the difference between their comrades' deaths or their survival…

* * *

It had seemed far too easy to just walk across the bridge to the other side.

It was scary how quickly Rinoa was picking up the SeeD line of thinking. Of how normally she would never think twice about crossing a bridge. She never would have considered the numerous vantage points that any hidden enemy could use to their advantage against them. When she'd been in Timber, she'd always had to force herself to remember that the Galbadian soldiers littered across the city could by lying in wait somewhere unseen just waiting for them to reveal themselves. Here, she didn't need reminders, the thought was constantly running rampant through her mind.

Squall had taken point and both she and Selphie followed closely after him, bypassing the landing and stepping out onto the bridge itself. The base of the bridge was a metallic base, but she could tell that something was off about it by the sound of her steps. She couldn't put her finger on it but it just seemed different somehow.

But it could've been her imagination, because her footsteps couldn't be louder than the whirling sandstorm that surrounded them on all sides. Her hair whipped about from the strong winds and she was constantly tucking the longer strands behind her ears, only for them to be picked up by the harsh torrent and thrown back into her face, like a child who was moving something from its personal spot knowing they weren't supposed to.

Beside her, Selphie remained quiet and positively grim-faced, her attention fixed on preventing possible ambush. Squall proceeded cautiously, part of the reason why they weren't moving near as quickly across as she would have liked. The sooner they got off this bridge, the more comfortable Rinoa was positive she would be.

Unlike other bridges she had seen or crossed in her lifetime, Rinoa noted that this one was the sturdiest. It didn't move at all against the howling wind – something the architects probably took into account while constructing this place – and it felt almost secure despite how out in the open they were. But as they reached the centre the structure suddenly shifted, causing everyone to start and scramble for balance. Rinoa found herself gripping the railing on either side of her to keep from stumbling forward, almost cutting Selphie off and hitting her from the side. The smaller girl was gripping the one side like a life-line though she quickly released it after a second. "What just happened?" She asked.

"Keep moving," Squall said, bypassing the question altogether before he made to press forward.

Somehow Rinoa had the feeling that the guards of this building were responsible for the sudden shift. Willing herself to calm down, Rinoa forced herself to follow the two SeeDs, only to feel resistance from either side. Moments later, the sides of the bridge suddenly tilted up and away, almost falling out of view. Had Rinoa not removed her grip she was fairly sure she would have flown off the bridge by the force and momentum.

"What's happening?" Rinoa yelled, her voice filled with the panic that was threatening to swallow her up.

"Run for it!" Selphie yelled, grabbing a hold of Rinoa's arm and pulling her along with her as she did just that.

Squall didn't need telling, having already started running towards to other end of the bridge. It was unnerving running along a bridge with no railings to stop them from plummeting a depth that would surely kill them. The strength of the wind was most definitely not helping.

Rinoa looked behind her reflexively and realized the railings falling out from beside them wasn't the only reason they had taken off at a run. The plating that made up the base of the bridge was retracting, sliding back in the opposite direction through the slots located beneath the bridge, threatening to fall out beneath their feet to allow them to plummet to the desert floor below. The only way to prevent this from happening was to reach the other end before the platform receded completely.

They continued to charge forward, Rinoa noting grimly that the bars stemming the gap between the tower behind and the tower ahead were still in place, as strong and steady as ever. More than likely they would simply dig into the desert floor and sink beneath the sands as the rest of the building plunged out of sight, like a strainer run under water. It would surely live to rise again. Them, not so much.

Her legs strained from the effort of running, lungs burned from having to keep up with the junctioned SeeDs and suddenly she stumbled, tripping over her feet. It proved to be a fatal flaw as it gave the platings beneath her feet enough time to fly out from under her and her stomach rose up in the tell-tale sign that preceded entering free-fall. Her scream was cut off as the rush of air within her lungs was expelled by the action, but her arm was almost jerked from its shoulder sockets as she was abruptly jolted, stopping her descent. Still, there was absolutely no footing beneath her feet and she managed a strangled cry as her gaze accidentally strayed to below. Vertigo set in almost immediately and her stomach rose up in her throat, threatening to expel its contents.

"Hold on!" Selphie's voice sounded from above. Swallowing thickly, Rinoa forced herself to look up and she realized that the only reason she had not plummeted to her death at all was because the diminutive SeeD had a firm grip on her wrist. Her other hand was occupied with grasping the bar that connected the bridge and the occasional jerks came from the girl trying to pull them both up. The rumbling of the prison descending was almost loud enough to drone out the girl's voice, but she strained her hearing as best she could.

As best she could, Rinoa awkwardly gripped the other girl's wrist, her fingers tightening in a desperate attempt to maintain contact with the only thing (person) that was keeping her from falling. She couldn't maintain it for long but she kept trying, even as her own wrist cried out in pain.

"Little help!" Selphie cried out and, craning her neck as best as she could, Rinoa realized the smaller girl was directing her words up and looking past the brunette she realized that Squall had actually made it across. Standing on the relative safety of the platform, the older SeeD stretched out his hands in front of him, though he was too far away to actually reach them and pull them up physically. That was when she grasped that he was attempting to cast a spell on them, float being the likely one. It would lift the pair up onto solid ground and away from the precarious position they found themselves in. The look on his face was yelling at them to hold on a little while longer and hope bubbled up in the pit of her stomach because she knew that he would safe them, that he would do everything in his power to do so.

But then that hope crashed down as his arms sudden dropped to his side and he cried out, convulsing almost spastically. Rinoa cried out in terror before watching him drop to his knees. For one fearful moment she thought he would tip over the edge before her eyes and the image of the parade flashed through her mind so vividly it stole the breath from her. But then she blinked and she watched him fall to his side, twitching slightly as the guard who had attacked him from behind stepped into view, in his hand a metallic device that sparked slightly along the edge.

She didn't need a closer look to realize it was a taser, and she didn't need to feel what Squall felt to know that he was in agony, that very nerve in his body was alive with the electrical current that had suddenly charged through him. But her dread intensified as she caught sight of another guard stepping forward, in his hands an automated weapon. Another guard joined him, followed by another and then a soldier.

They had been laying in wait for them, expecting them to make this move. And they'd fallen into their trap like witless mice in a maze.

Squall finally managed to recover and started to turn his body in the direction of the attack, freezing slightly as he took in the sight of their attackers, even as they cocked their weapons and steadily pointed them in his direction.

"Shit!" Selphie cursed suddenly, drawing the raven-haired girls attention. At the intense look of panic in her features, Rinoa at first believed she was fearful of her comrades safety. Raising her gaze slightly told her otherwise; Selphie's hand was slipping, and they were barely holding on by the tips of her fingers.

And then the grip slipped completely and the girls were falling…

* * *

It took every effort in them to rush through the sand, their feet sinking deeper into the gritty substance the faster they tried to move. Time was against them, they couldn't afford any delays. Not even against the elements.

As the time passed them by while they rushed to the tower across from where they'd first started, they could make out the top of the tower clearer and clearer. And looking up, he was able to tell that the bridge had collapsed, what looked to be bars that made up the sides were still in place but the bottom had completely fallen out. Zell was surprised not to have to duck from raining debris when he caught sight of something hanging off the side of one of the bars. A second later, whatever it was dropped, the action followed up by a short scream.

That was when he realized that it wasn't something. It was some_one._

Quistis had seen it too and immediately drew her attention towards the brawler. "Take care of them!" She shouted before rushing off ahead with Irvine as fast as their feet could carry them through the traction-less sand. Zell stopped his run and threw his hands out, never having casted this spell before but knowing the sensation well enough to risk a try. He concentrated on the sensation of being weightless and felt the paramagic trailing down his arms and through his fingers as he desperately held onto the feeling, hoping that he wasn't too late.

Through his slitted eyes he realized he'd acted just in time, because the rapidly descending body suddenly slowed its descent, almost feather falling to the sand beneath them. Zell forced his tired and aching body to run forward to intercept them, hoping that he had not just saved a witless soldier from certain death, but also hoping that his comrades were safe and sound. As he drew nearer the person he realized that he had not simply saved one person, but too. More importantly, they donned yellow and blue respectively as opposed to the stuffy uniforms the guards wore, or the metal and blue spandex the soldiers were required to dress in.

Rinoa touched down onto the ground first and Selphie was deposited shortly after that, the wings of the float spell disappearing with a flourish that would have been impressive given any other circumstance. Now, he closed in on them, noting how Rinoa was shaking and breathing heavily from her close call and how Selphie wasn't fairing that much better.

"Yo!" he shouted, gaining the girl's attention. Both looked up in his direction and looked positively relieved to see a friendly face. "You okay?"

"We're fine," Selphie said through a shaky breath. Rinoa appeared unable to speak. "But Squall's still up there, and there's a _ton_ of soldiers and guards surrounding him!"

"Quistis and Irvine are on it," Zell said, finally reaching them and helping Rinoa – who apparently had no strength to stand – rise to her feet. She held onto his shoulder to keep from tipping over. "We should probably do what we can to back 'em up."

"No need to tell us twice!" Selphie responded and without any need to be told to do so, she helped Zell help Rinoa in the direction of the garage.

* * *

It felt like it had taken a lot longer than it should have to reach the garage door, but they managed the feet. Even out of breath as she was, Quistis mustered the strength needed to propel her Aero spell forward, causing the doors that barred her path to blast off their hinges and allow them access. Unfortunately, this response to this action was to be assailed by automated gunfire. Guards and soldiers alike had been stationed behind the closed doors and were serving as the sole defence preventing the escapees from getting inside to assist their comrades.

Biting back a curse, Quistis had the mindset to raise her arms in front of her, the blue protective paramagic of the Protect spell shielding her from the onslaught of bullets and allowing her the time she needed to fall back behind rock and debris that littered the desert. Irvine ducked down behind her, taking full advantage of the spell as he raised his rifle and returned fire, the slow rounds blasting into the sand in front of the team of soldiers who had been sent out to deal with them.

Too far away to see anything beyond the first few feet of the garage, Quistis assisted Irvine in maintaining cover fire, cupping her hands together and watching as bullets blasted from her palm mimicking that of a machine gun. That action startled the sharpshooter, who almost tumbled out of cover from his shock and only barely managing to maintain his balance to prevent such an action. The advancing soldiers backed away slightly, more than likely thinking they had acquired some automated weaponry of their own.

If only that were the case.

Quistis knew that time was against them. The longer it took them to reach the others, the higher their chances of being apprehended were. Or worse. Refusing to allow the thoughts to form images, the former instructor banished them to the back of her mind, focusing on figuring out a means of entering the garage. More than likely there were cars docked within, and if they could bypass the enemy and take one they could escape without a backwards glance. They wouldn't _need _to fight their way out.

But for the life of her, Quistis couldn't get her scrambled thoughts to form a coherent plan and she cursed herself for it, even as she assisted Irvine with returning fire onto their enemies. They didn't have the numbers for a frontal assault, and she didn't doubt the sharpshooter was running low on his ammo reserves. As powerful as her blue magic was, she also knew she wouldn't be able to hold out for that much longer. Eventually they would become overwhelmed, even if Zell managed to catch up to them, and it would be the end of it.

Quistis refused to allow that to happen and closing her eyes she concentrated on the sensation of ice, willing the Ice Goddess Shiva to spring forth to assist them once more…

* * *

He'd watched the screens anxiously, is hands clenching into fists before relaxing and stretching the fingers before he would resume the clenching once again. The SeeD youth had gone back into the building a while before and when he emerged he was followed by the two girls who had accompanied him. For a heart stopping second, he had almost been convinced that the mechanism would not shift in time, that the prisoners would be allowed to escape but then the structure had shaken so violently the trio aboard were almost thrown from its surface. By the time the railings had shifted and detracted, he had breathed easier and as the three youths ran full out for the opposite side as the bridge's plates receded beneath the platforms he was leaning forward once again, switching his gaze from camera to camera, making sure he was viewing all visuals of them. The two girls had dropped from view, probably to their deaths, but the young man was still on the platform, lying on his side as the Warden's men held weapons at him, ready to blow him a new breathing hole through his neck should he try anything funny.

_We got them now,_ his mind assured him. But he wasn't about to take any chances. These punks had cost him far too much trouble to risk keeping them alive now, orders or no. He would wipe all relevant footage they had of the punks escaping, claim that their deaths had been unavoidable, that they had fought back and given them no choice but to react. Sorceresses were powerful, but they weren't mind readers. They were forced to rely on what they were told. Right?

Running a nervous hand down his face, he blinked before hearing screams springing forth on his radio. Looking up at the monitor that had arrested his attention, Grayer realized the screams were not coming from the team pinning down the SeeD and grabbed his radio to find out what was happening. He had it set to the team he had sent to block the garage in the event the remaining escapees managed to get that far. He was about to inquire about the situation when he heard the men scream one word that caused his blood to freeze and it made him realize just how terrible the situation had become.

Downstairs, at the garage entrance, his men were fending off a Guardian Force.

Grayer had seen these things in action, not on the field but that very day within the walls of his prison. Beings summoned from the elements they wielded by the very youths they were trying to detain, they had wreaked havoc upon his men since the brats had gotten their hands on the anti-magic belts. One that seemed to lurk in the shadows had stalked the guards like a hunter in the jungle and an all but naked woman had been seen bashing heads with blocks formed from ice. A monstrous beast that could belch fire had been rampaging along the upper floors, more than likely clearing a path for the SeeD responsible for its summons. Grayer was absolutely convinced that the strange silken bird from before was yet another one, spewing thunder and all but destroying two out of three of the towers that formed the top of the prison.

He had taken into account that the punks could wield magic. He had completely forgotten that they could summon these destructive forces against the thousands of men he had stationed, and the additional soldiers who had been sent to oversee these new prisoners. He had had the advantage before, but the mythical beings made the numbers game irrelevant.

He caught some movement from the monitors in front of him and when he looked up, one of the soldiers on the screen was down, having falling on his arm and was wincing in pain. The SeeD who had been pinned down made a leap over the edge after something black and bulky before disappearing from view, the remainder of the guards and soldiers stepping forward after the punk. Grayer blinked stupidly, wondering if the idiot had just done his job for him, but as one of his men shifted to the side, he realized that was not the case. Fingers gripped at the edge of the platform almost desperately. Whether the youth had managed to catch whatever it was he had dove for or not he could not tell. All he could see was his men gathering around his prone position, weapons aimed and ready to fire.

* * *

That had been _incredibly _stupid.

The moment one of the guards reached for his radio to report to report to his superiors, Squall had acted, sweeping his foot beneath the man's legs and toppling him like a set of dominos. When the man fell, he had dropped his weapon, the automatic submachine gun sliding forward, almost as though it were trying to bridge the gap and reach him. Unfortunately when he reached out to grab it, he jarred the weapon off its course. Fumbling for it only made matters worse and before he realized what was happening the weapon flew off the platform with him diving for it shortly thereafter. He'd barely managed to grab a hold of the platform before he could fall the depth to the desert floor just like the weapon did.

Still, it had at least gotten him out of the line of fire. Above him he could hear the guards scrambling into formation, more than likely expecting him to use his momentary disappearance as a distraction. Cursing lightly under his breath, he couldn't stop himself from looking down but managed to turn away before he was unable to, staring up above the one hand that was currently serving as his life line.

The footfalls settled from above and looking up beyond his hand even as he reached up with his other for purchase, he stared right into the barrel of another automated weapon. He stilled the action as the weapon was cocked, gritting his teeth at the feeling of helplessness that was suddenly overwhelming.

"End of the line," the soldier all but snarled and primed his weapon, taking deliberate aim.

Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, he weighed his options, running through the admittedly few possibilities. Unfortunately, none of them held the best outcome for him. None of the ideas that ran through his mind ended with him still breathing. Even the slightest shift would cause the man towering over him to open fire, not nearly enough time to cast a spell to save himself.

But there was one thing he could do.

He didn't know what happened to Selphie or Rinoa, whether they were killed from the fall or somehow managed to survive. He was not an optimistic and so his thoughts tread down the negative path. He could only hope that Quistis and the others somehow managed to escape this place, somehow managed to stop the launch, though he didn't know how they could possibly know of this, or how they could ever know when he was unable to tell them.

He was not in the position to do anything about that. But he knew that while the Galbadians had backed him in a corner, he would be _damned _if he allowed them to be the ones to kill him.

It was with this thought in mind that he closed his eyes, let out the breath he had been holding back and released his grip on the platform.

The startled exclamations that came from his unexpected action were carried away from him by the sudden roar of the wind as his body cut through it. But as trained soldiers and civil servants, they recovered quickly and he saw as he opened his eyes more people appear from the top of the platform, shouldering their weapons and seconds later they opened fire, the loud concussive rounds shredding through the sandstorm.

Cursing again, he brought his arms up to shield himself all the while knowing of the futility, his eyes clenching shut in preparation of the pain that was to come.

But it didn't. Instead the blasts of gunfire from above were drowned out by a sound akin to rain impacting metal. Before he could wonder how it could sound like rain when they were in the midst of a sunny day in the middle of a desert, he felt a jolt as though someone or something was tugging him back as he travelled at full speed in an opposite direction. It drew the breath from his lungs and he was left coughing, almost choking as he gasped and tried to breathe. Eyes open, mind completely alert, he was startled to discover that the bullets were hitting a thin layer of something that stood between them and his body. There was a semi translucent blue film that would flash as each bullet impacted it.

The bullets weren't hitting him because they were hitting the protective wall of paramagic that had been conjured around him.

More importantly, he was no longer falling. At least he wasn't falling fast. It was more like he was drifting downward, his descent slowing the farther he went. It would only be a matter of time before he stopped moving altogether, whether he was on solid ground or not. The reason why he'd stopped freefalling was the same reason those bullets failed to tear into his flesh. Paramagic.

His gaze fell below and he was suddenly aware of little specks in the ground that weren't actually little specks at all. They were people, and the lower he drifted, the easier they were to recognize. Rinoa was waving her hands in the air enthusiastically even as the diminutive SeeD beside her lowered her eyes and gestured for the first girl to follow after her. A third spec that turned out to be Zell was already racing towards the building's front. It was more than likely the garage.

He took hold of the reigns of the float spell and guided himself down, forcing the now invisible wings to propel him down in the same direction his team was heading. Now that he knew he would live to fight another day, he sure as hell wasn't going to be left behind.

* * *

All he could do was sit and stare at the screens in front of him, though he no longer saw anything they displayed. The images of his people running in terror of the Guardian Force dispensing pain or of the escapees breaching the entrance of the garage as they searched for a means of escape were lost on him, as were the men who were quickly descending atop the platform that would soon connect with the junction leading into the building proper. The only thing that ran through his mind was the look on that young man's face, of his determined resignation as he released the platform and plummeted the depth to his death.

He didn't know why this haunted him. He had seen many a look in all his years of service with Galbadia, the calm acceptance that preceded the end of all things. People had been executed at the D-District prison, some due to illness that could not be cured, others because of fool escaped attempts that had resulted in such severe injury they could not come back from it. But most had had that look even if they had not escaped. It was the look of hopelessness, a look that betrayed their misery at being prisoners forevermore.

But he was unused to seeing it in the face of someone so young. Grayer assumed that had to be it, that the last shred of humanity he possessed after years of being desensitized to the violence he had been surrounded by had not yet been extinguished.

As his gaze took in the screens surrounding him without actually seeing them, he caught his reflection and sighed aloud as he saw the youth's expression mirrored in his own. It was of resignation, knowing that nothing one could do would change the outcome of the situation. Even if the young man had died in the fall, the rest of his team would escape. The men in the garage and atop the platform had been the prison's last line of defence, the only thing remaining between the SeeDs and freedom. With the GF tearing through them like paper dolls, even with reinforcements arriving it would be for nought.

History was in the makings this day. This prison was no longer inescapable.

Orders filled the air like a mist as the sounds of his soldiers demanding to know their next course of action streamed through the radio that had been left on the dashboard. Leaning back in his chair in complete and utter disbelief, he would not have been able to reach it simply by raising his hand and after a moment he leaned forward to retrieve the device. His fingers curled around the metal as his decision weighed heavily in his mind. It was useless in the end and he found himself letting loose the sigh that had filled his throat. They would escape, but not at the cost of any more of his men. He wasn't completely heartless, he knew that now.

"All forces retreat," he ordered grimly, his mind only now taking in the screens in front of him, of the damages already done. Bodies lay unmoving in streaks and pools while wounded soldiers and guards hid in cover, relying on their comrades to apply pressure to their injuries and otherwise defend their position. The Ice Goddess was seemingly invincible, not appearing tired at all even after all the damage she had done. The other two youths who had followed shortly after her provided cover fire for the mystical force, the male sounding off slow rounds from his rifle while the girl pelted those otherwise ignored with her magic. Then the blonde boy with the tattoo came into view at a charge, leaping forward feet first and propelling an advancing soldier back and away. The youth landed on his feet with the precision of a stunt choreographer.

He received startled and outraged cries from his announcement but he repeated his orders firmly, informing them all of his intentions. "They aren't worth dying for, none of them are! They'll get out with you alive or dead, it doesn't matter! Gather the wounded and retreat back into the prison!"

There was some hesitation and for a moment he expected insubordination. But his orders were affirmed and the communication shut off. Upon the screen, he watched as his men gathered the wounded forces and retreated beyond the room, more than likely preparing to re-enter the prison. Grayer breathed a sigh and threw his hat half-heartedly atop the dash as he continued to stare grimly at the screen before him.

* * *

The guards and soldiers on the opposite end of the room were either shooting or protecting their wounded. Shiva took a lot of the hits but she shrugged them off as easily as swatting at flies while Quistis and Irvine returned fire from the relatively safe of the wall they were using as cover. Even Zell had ducked back after conducting a flying leap-kick into the chest of an oncoming soldier.

But by the time he backtracked to hide behind the same cover, he became aware of a noticeable dip in enemy fire. By the time he actually reached it, the gunfire had ceased almost entirely. As if to accentuate the sudden lack of threat, Shiva dispersed into a particle of magic that amounted to that of a glitter bomb going off. The particles disappeared short of hitting the ground beneath it.

"Is it over?" Irvine drawled. The echo that blasted back at them seemed to amplify the suddenly empty room.

Before anyone could come up with an answer, the sound of footfalls came from behind. Fearing an ambush, Zell whirled around but relaxed as he saw Rinoa and Selphie rushing in front the entrance, with Squall a few steps behind them. Rinoa was red-faced, an affect from having to trudge through sand while Selphie's breathing was almost moderately heavy. Squall appeared to have no such trouble, like he ran through thick trackless sand daily. But at the sight of a guardless and soldierless room, everyone's facial features dissolved into confusion. Zell could only offer a shrug in their direction.

"So now what?" Selphie asked, seemingly disregarding the strange occurrence.

"Now we pick a car and get out of here," Quistis answered before proceeding further into the building. She did so quietly and cautiously, as though afraid someone might be lying in wait. The rest followed after her.

The garage lot was spacious, with plenty of places to hide, mostly behind the vehicles whose resting places this room normally was. But like the soldiers who had been fighting in this room previously, the vehicles did not come out unscathed. Windshields had been shattered, the sides, front and backs of the cars rattled with bullet holes, several tires had been shot out and lay like flat useless rubber beneath the rims. After several minutes of inspecting them it was decided that very few of them were in working condition.

However, it wasn't completely hopeless. They did manage to secure two vehicles that had managed to survive the gunfight for the most part unscathed. There were some dents caused by the armoured men and woman impacting with its front and rear bumper, though nothing unnoticeable. Each vehicle had more than enough space to fit all six youths, but that would leave the threat of being pursued by their capturers.

"We'll take them both," Squall announced when the topic had been broached. No one complained.

Dividing into two groups of three, they all piled into the respective vehicles, the guys laying claim to the plain grey tank-like car that seemed to have been used to transport soldiers and guards alike, while the girls were more than happy utilizing the yellow four-wheeler that had what looked to be a bio sign emblazoned along its doors. The yellow car took point, the tires rolling with a light _crunch _over the gritted floor before depositing upon the road that led away from the building. Within a few minutes, the prison loamed behind them, the view of the tower easily fitting into the whole of the rear view mirror. No one looked back.

Zell had very discretely (or so he believed) taken his place behind the wheel of the car, not knowing if Irvine was a sane driver while believing it would be waste to escape the prison with their lives all the while dying in a crash fuelled by Squall's lead foot. The compartmental door leading into the back end where soldiers and guards would normally sit had been left open so that he could easily converse with either one of his comrades while he drove. Ahead, the yellow car was barrelling down the road, though it was miraculous that it managed to stay there. Zell assumed it had to be because Selphie was nowhere near operating the wheel.

He was only half-listening to Irvine lamenting that the girls could use some additional backup. Squall very pointedly informed the sharpshooter that they needed him focused, to which the taller youth simply bemoaned the situation. Somehow Zell could tell he wasn't being serious, though the Squad leader still shook his head with a sigh. He was almost grateful for the banter, still in disbelief that they'd even managed to get out. It had taken a combination of skill and luck, though the brawler was convinced that the latter had held the most stock in their actions. If things hadn't happened as they had at the moments they had, they'd probably still be incarcerated or worse.

The silence that fell shortly after that didn't last long, especially when taking into account of the crunching rocks beneath the tires as they tread their course further away from the prison behind. The fact that Squall had also chosen the moment to break it wasn't lost on him either, the brawler finding the other SeeD the starter of conversations more frequently now than back when they had been room-mates. That seemed like such a long time in contrast to the four years it had been.

"Besides," he said, seemingly steering the conversation back into more serious waters. "We have more important things to worry about. The Sorceress is planning to launch missiles as the Garden and we need to stop her."

Zell's whole spine went rigid at the announcement and without thinking he whirled around to face the Squad leader. He also noted that Irvine was staring at the other youth in shock, his jaw hanging slightly open. However, he managed to beat Zell at his declaration with one of his own. "How tha hell did'ja know that?"

"What'dya mean 'how did he know'?" Zell exclaimed pointedly. A sudden thought occurred to him and his astonished and surprised look turned to grill Irvine instead of Squall. "You mean _you _knew? When the hell were you planning on dropping that bomb on us?"

He turned his attention back towards Squall, not bothering to give the sharpshooter enough time to answer the question addressed to him. "And I thought the mission was a covert one. How the hell does the Sorceress know the Garden was even involved?"

Even as he asked the question, he drew up the answer and broke off into a groan. _He _had been the one to tell her. In fact, he'd told half the world that they were SeeD members from the Garden back in Timber when Seifer had been holding Deling prisoner. Once she'd seen them, she would've known enough to put two and two together. He cursed, realizing that his earlier misstep was once again coming back to haunt them.

Irvine cleared his throat in preparation of answering the brawler's question now that the blonde youth had given him an opening to do so. "Caraway and tha Sorceress spoke soon after tha attack in Deling. She mentioned sumthan' 'bout tha Garden's getting targeted by missiles. Reckon she didn't realize he'd have a man eavesdroppin'. And we didn't rightly have tha luxury o' discussin' it, not when there wasn't much else ta do if he couldn't even get on outta there ta begin with."

The sharpshooter's cool stare turned to fix Squall with a look. "So how'd ya hear about it?"

"Seifer's got a big ego," Squall said with what amounted to be a verbal shrug. "And apparently a big mouth to go along with it."

"He always was a gloating prick," Zell said, though he wasn't smiling.

"Well he'll rightly regret spillin' tha beans when he finds out we got on out," Irvine said, returning the verbal shrug with one of his own.

"Seifer also told me that once the Gardens are gone, he's planning on hunting down the survivors," Squall continued grimly. "The Sorceress is focused on SeeD for some reason, and for that reason she wants to see us all wiped…" The Squad leader cut himself off abruptly, his eyes going wide as he looked up to regard the brawler. "Zell! Watch the road!"

At the order, the brawler swivelled around, cursed and was barely managed to press down on the break to avoid them from barrelling into the yellow vehicle ahead of them. They screeched with to a stop so abruptly that the momentum pushed him forward, though he mercifully managed to avoid slamming face first into the steering wheel. He heard a couple of thuds from the back, a sure fire sign that the other two had collided with the wall. Neither one had been wearing seatbelts and thus their momentum had propelled them into the solid objects beside them.

The brawler looked back out, blinking stupidly as he wondered at the delay. But he didn't have to wonder long as it was Irvine who was the first to speak. "Oh no…" he said as he slapped himself in the forehead. "Reckon Selphie knows now."

"Huh?" Zell asked in confusion, but sure enough as he made his response the girls piled out of the car, Selphie purposefully and almost frantically while Rinoa just appeared frantic. The next thing he knew, Selphie had the raven-haired girl cornered against the car and was practically screaming into her face. Quistis, who had been the last to emerge from the vehicle, was standing off to the side, for once seemingly at a lost as to what to do.

"So who wants to break up that party?" Irvine asked. Squall gave him a shove in the shoulder before ordering them all to move it and they left the safety of the car to investigate.

But Zell also noticed that like him and Irvine, Squall also approached slowly, almost as though he wanted no part in the catfight that seemed about ready to break out without a moment's notice.

Though even if they had stayed put, they probably would have been able to hear the words she was shouting as clear as day.

"…And you couldn't tell us any of this _sooner_?" Selphie ended her tirade with an indignant shriek.

Rinoa winced from the volume and looked downright petrified with her back pressed up against the side of the yellow car, but before Selphie could launch another verbal attack, the smaller SeeD caught sight of them approaching her, though now they were moving at a snail's pace. She cleared the distance between the two groups quickly, her attention fixed solely on the sharpshooter.

"It's not true, is it?" She asked. She sounded like she didn't want to believe whatever it was that had gotten her this upset. "Please,_ please_ tell me that it's not true."

Irvine shook his head marginally, his gaze fixed onto the ground. The diminutive SeeD covered the bottom half of her face completely with both hands. Zell had the startling realization that she was freaking out and he exchanged a look with Squall, who also appeared shocked at the outcome. "What the hell's goin' on?"

Quistis, ever the abundance of knowledge, was the one who answered. "Rinoa told us that Irvine overheard a conversation with the General."

"Yeah, we know that," Zell said, indicating himself and Squall. "The Sorceress is plannin' on nuking Balamb Garden. We've gotta get to Balamb before…"

"That's not the only thing she's planning on _nuking_," Selphie suddenly snapped. Her hands dropping to her sides and forming tiny fists. "She wants to get rid of SeeD and she's shooting missiles at Balamb Garden, but she's also gonna blow up _Trabia _Garden to clean up house!"

And it suddenly dawned on him what a complete idiot he was. Zell couldn't fault the smaller girl for being as upset as she was but breaking down and attacking the rest of the team sure as hell wasn't going to stop them. Squall seemed to agree because he was the one who spoke next. "The only thing we can do right now is return to the Garden and warn them about the missiles. The sooner we head out, the better our chances of success."

The diminutive SeeD suddenly whirled back around to look at Quistis and Rinoa, as though they would back her up. After a moment of distressed silence, Selphie turned her attention back towards the boys. "But... but what about _Trabia_?"

"Selphie," Quistis said. Her tone made it clear she was trying to calm the younger girl down while attempting to remain somewhat diplomatic. "I'm sorry there's just not enough _time_ to make it to Trabia Garden. There's no way to warn them either, not without some sort of communications device that would reach the distance. And there's no telling whether or not the Galbadians would hack into the frequency and learn of our whereabouts from that if we did, no matter how careful we are."

"Oh there's one thing we can do," Selphie said, and there was a certain gleam in her eye that Squall didn't like. "We can go to the Missile Base and stop the damn launch!"

Everyone started by the declaration, even resulting in a couple of exchanged glances. Next to the D-District Prison, the Missile Base was Galbadia's pride and joy. It had been the sole means of fending off the Esthar forces to the East during the 2nd Sorceress War, as it was the only base in the world that possessed long ranged weapons that could shoot anything anywhere in the world.

The place was also probably fortified like a fortress. Just getting in would be a feat in itself, let alone stopping the launch and managing to avoid recapture. It would make their escape from the prison just now look like a casual stroll in comparison.

"_Think _about it," Selphie continued despite the dubious looks that were being shot in her direction. "There's not much guarantee that we can make it to _either_ Garden in time and the chance of the enemy listening in on our conversation is just way too high. You're right about that. They'd figure out what we were trying to do and we'd just get caught and executed in the end. But if we _sneaked_ into the Missile Base and cut off the threat from the source, we get minimum casualties."

"But they'd just start up the launch again," Zell argued.

The gleam in her eye deepened and the brawler knew what her rebuttal was before he heard it. "Then we blow it to smithereens. Problem solved."

"Selphie," Rinoa said for the first time since giving her the bad news. "I think _everyone_ here understands how you feel. It's their home that's being threatened here…"

"No, _you_ don't understand!" Selphie shouted back. It became obvious to everyone that she was seriously getting herself worked up. She threw a hand in Irvine's direction, who jerked suddenly as though she'd hit him. "Galbadia Garden won't get targeted at all because the Sorceress wants to use it as her base. And the others came from Balamb Garden, but I'm different! Balamb may be my home _now_, but I grew up in the Bika Fields in Trabia!"

Selphie was crying now. Tears were streaming down her face from reddened eyes but it wasn't stopping her tirade. It was only fuelling it. "I have _friends_, people I consider _family_, people I grew up with and care about up there! My _roots_ come from up there! I have _two_ homes that are in danger and I can't just _sit around and save one place when the other is in just as much trouble!_ We _have _to stop the launch! We _have_ to save them _both_!"

She whirled around to face Squall. Her chest was heaving and she was close to hyper-ventilating but beyond caring about any of that. "Squall, you _have_ to decide what we're gonna do! But even if I have to go in it alone, I am _going_ to that Missile Base and I am _going_ to blow it up into so much scrap metal the Galbadians will be cleaning it up from here to Esthar and back again!"

Squall for the most part looked like a deer caught in headlights though he appeared to keep himself from looking around for a means of escape. Zell and Rinoa exchanged unsure glances, not knowing what the Squad leader was going to do.

"You won't be going in it alone."

Everyone looked over towards the former instructor. Her head was held high and her features set into a determined expression. Unlike Squall, she had apparently come to a conclusion. "I understand the way you feel about this, and I know how important it is for you to do this, so I'm going with you. Taking on the Galbadian forces on your own, while very noble, is incredibly stupid. You'll need some back up, especially from someone who knows the area relatively well."

"Well shucks," Irvine said, shaking his head suddenly. "Now y'all _know_ I can't just up and leave two ladies ta take on those Galbadian forces all by their lonesome." He waltzed on over to the two girls and draped an arm across each of their shoulders. Quistis looked away in disgust while Selphie stared at him in shock. "Count me in."

"That settles it then," Rinoa said awkwardly. "And while you guys go the Missile Base, _we'll_ go back to Balamb Garden and warn them about the missiles."

"That sounds like a good plan," Quistis commented. "All we need is the Squad leader's approval."

Squall frowned a little at this, but after a moment he nodded awkwardly the action speaking volumes in itself. "This mission isn't like any other mission. It has not been issued by Garden and is more like a request than anything else. You three will be on your own from this point on to when the mission ends. No one will be available to back you up."

He directed his gaze to Selphie who was rubbing at her eyes almost as though she were embarrassed. "Do you have some kind of plan?"

"I'm… not really sure…" Selphie admitted in a small voice. Her eyes were still puffy but it seemed as though she was finally beginning to calm down. "I mean I've got the two biggest Galbadian experts with me, so we can formulate _some_ kind of plan. Like maybe using one of these cars and pretending to be soldiers to get in. The rest, well… I guess we'll have to make it up as we go along."

She rubbed at the back of her neck sheepishly before she leaned forward in a bow. "I'm sorry."

Squall sighed heavily. "What're you apologizing for? There's no need for that. You've got a job to take care of."

Selphie rose up from her bow and grinned sheepishly. "Ok… Then… Thanks."

They split off shortly after that. Selphie's team began their drive towards the Missile Base – an approximately two hours' drive (according to Irvine and Quistis) in the yellow military car – while Zell, Squall and Rinoa headed south in the grey vehicle. They would have to get to Timber in order to return to Balamb and, according to Rinoa, there was a train station somewhere close by.

So for the first time since this whole mess had begun, the team was voluntarily split down the middle. No one knew if they would see each other again, for the answer to that elusive question was now up to each one of them.

* * *

_And so concludes the Desert District Prison arc. I hope it didn't drone on too long, but I always thought it was way too quickly executed in the game, so I expanded it a bit. And it's a bit obvious what else I decided to change in this arc as well._

_As for how the team got split up, I've always felt it makes more sense this way. Whenever I played the game, Zell and Rinoa always went with Squall to Balamb while the remaining three ended up in the Missile Base (though to be perfectly honest, I would have loved to see Selphie's return to Balamb, but of course that would be out of character seeing as how the Missile Base mission was her idea initially)._

_The next chapter will start off the Missile Base arc, which I have to say is the most difficult arc I have written up to date. Truth to tell, I absolutely _hated _writing it, but that's mostly because I had to pretty much revamp everything. Not telling what exactly; you'll just have to wait and see._

_So until the next time, I hope you enjoyed this latest installment and please leave a review filled with your thoughts._


	14. Chapter XII: Tactical Reverse Strike

**Edited:** _06/24/10_

* * *

**Chapter XII:**  
**Tactical Reverse Strike**

* * *

It was as hot and muggy as it always was at the desert train station. Anyone who was caught in the unrelenting heat wave would say that the horizon shimmered as though they were looking at a strange patch of water. The structures that comprised the station itself gave off the illusion of being a desolate area and upon first glance it would appear ridiculous to have built the lengthy stand in the middle of nowhere. However, this station was a few yards east of the neighbouring prison in the Dingo Desert, where the soldiers and permanent residence would require sustenance and supplies in order to remain alive and healthy.

Of course that isn't to say the food there could be considered edible, at least where the prisoners were concerned.

And even setting aside the strange screw-like structure in the distance, the station was not desolate at all. Cordoning off the perimeter were two squads composed of six soldiers each, and they patrolled the area almost apathetically, marching towards one end of the perimeter before turning around and marching back towards the other.

This action was viewed, by all parties involved, as needless and redundant. For the two decades that the prison had been standing tall against the relentless sun that beat against the surrounding sands, there had not been a single prisoner to ever escape its impenetrable walls. Of course they had heard of attempts, but the escapees never made it far enough for it to become a concern of theirs, and thus never made it out of the building altogether.

Nevertheless, the two squads patrolled the grounds as directed by their superiors. Today, a cargo train had arrived at the station, and the soldiers were assisting the crew that had travelled aboard the metal vehicle in unloading the precious contents within. The soldiers who weren't doing this were patrolling the grounds as previously instructed. The train had arrived ten minutes ago from the city, filled with the supplies they would need to bring to the prison in order to replenish their dwindling supplies.

Unfortunately, unloading the cargo from freighter trains was the only task that was taken with anything even symbolizing serious dedication. As the years increased in numbers, the more the soldiers surrounding the area believed it less likely for anyone to escape successfully. It is because of this belief that security had become severely laxed over time. Guarding the train station east of the Desert District Prison was regarded more of a joke than as a necessary task and many soldiers viewed it as a means of leave with pay. The only difference between the two tasks - in their minds at least - was when on leave they could go wherever they pleased. While they were limited to this location, here they talked, smoked and pissed as much as they pleased, without worry of repercussions. Even the higher ranked soldiers who were ordered to supervise had given up this job as a lost cause. Reports that were made to the officials back in Deling City were far and few between, as even that wasn't taken seriously at all.

Even with the soldiers goofing around at their own leisure there was still someone around who took their job quite seriously, almost to the point where it became an obsession. Unfortunately for the military this 'someone' happened to be the surveillance system that had been installed along and within the grounds and because it happened to have been a machine, it was very impartial and did nothing aside from record the documents it received. One task that the human guards managed to do very well was change the tapes, even if they didn't actually watch them (because that would have taken far too much effort).

So when a grey military vehicle approached the grounds at a speed that bordered on recklessness it did nothing, even as it stopped so quickly that the whole of the car spun to the side as it screeched to a full stop, no doubt causing the occupants within to suffer from massive whiplash. Still, it uncaringly continued to record the ongoings as the three people inside climbed - or in the two passenger's cases, _fell - _out of the four wheeled contraption. The trio – they looked far too young to have anything at all to do with the military – waited around for a bit, keeping out of sight in the event one of the stupid soldiers managed to stumble upon the trespassers – before they began to climb over the wired fence in order to gain access into the compound.

Now, in theory, the moment any of the youths touched the wired fence before them, a powerful electrical current should have slammed into them at such a force that they were either killed or rendered unconscious within seconds. They're hands would be rendered useless as second degree burns took hold and the soldiers (who no doubt would have heard the shouts and screams of pain) would have then surrounded the interlopers and taken them into custody. But unfortunately, that would have been the ideal world. In this world, the electricity that ran through the fence as a security caution had long since been disabled, due to the number of monsters who were killed as they tried to inspect the area. The monsters were (now) smart enough to keep their distance, but the fence's electrical systems had been disabled in order to conserve energy and to prevent the soldiers from having to investigate false alarms. Even the audio alarms that had been installed in the event the interlopers made it any further than the fence had been disabled, because of birds that would set them off.

So without anything to stop them, the trio scaled the wall without too much difficulty, though the girl wearing blue and black had the most trouble in this feat. Even the barbed wire that was wrapped along the very top of the fence did nothing to deter them and soon they were over the obstacle and onto the privately owned property. As soon as they were all standing, the trio made their way further into the perimeter and out of sight of the first camera.

Fortunately enough, there were plenty of surveillance cameras in the area, and as such another camera quickly spotted them as they came into view, slinking along as low to the ground as humanly possible in an attempt to keep from being seen. They needn't have bothered but the camera obviously couldn't tell the teenagers that the soldiers in the area were lazy and worthless at their jobs, and as such the camera continued to watch as the youths continued along their way. They crept along the cargo boxes and crates that had been set down by the soldiers – also another blunder as those crates now served as cover – and simply waited for the moment where they would do whatever it was they were there to do.

The soldiers were oblivious to the presence of the trespasser and continued to talk and cuss at their own leisure. Even the crew from the train was taking it easy - they too had long since learned that nothing exciting ever came from guarding the prison. So as the last of the soldiers wandered off in order to obtain the necessary vehicles to carry the crates to the prison (and, no doubt, learn of the ongoings of the so-called 'inescapable fortress') and the train personnel went along to assist them, the tallest of the youths made his move, dashing past the cargo and up along the lead car that was the engine room. His co-conspirators were quick in doing the same and were also not spotted by the departing soldiers.

There were a few minutes where nothing happened and the last of the soldiers disappeared from sight. But then something _did_ happen. The massive engine on the train roared to life, causing billowing smoke to appear from the chimney. Then the wheels started to turn and within another couple of moments the train started to move. If the camera was a person, it would have been shocked and awestruck in the realization that the youths meant to steal a train. If the camera was a person, it might have thought to call out a warning to alert the surrounding soldiers.

But again, cameras are machines and this particular camera simply watched as the train started along the tracks and away from the station, gathering speed as it moved.

Finally something must have hit one of the soldiers upside his thick skull because one of the soldiers on their patrol took notice of the train, called out a warning and, once everyone was alerted of the situation, the stupid soldiers ran full out after the train, moving as fast as their legs would carry them. However, their small legs were no match for the power of the locomotive and the distance between the two groups was widening further and further. If there was even one ounce of intelligence in these thick soldiers, they would have thought to grab one of the armoured cars they used to transport prisoners to the Desert District Prison and driven the length to reach the train. If they had done so, they would have caught up easily and, more importantly, apprehended the delinquents.

But again, that would be asking too much. The soldiers continued to run full out and, one by one, their feet fell out from underneath them, crashing any hopes of catching the runaway train as it continued away from the station. And again, because it is an uncaring machine, the camera simply continued to watch on, recording every single second of the incident that would, no doubt, be viewed by the superiors of the men and women behind this major fuck up.

Meanwhile, inside the engine room, only two of the occupants took any notice to their pursuers as the train continued to increase the gap between them. The brawler was laughing hysterically as each of the soldiers fell to the ground one after another while the raven-haired resistance fighter apologized profusely as the action came to pass. This made Zell laugh even harder and each time this happened Rinoa threw dirty and disgusted glares towards him. The brawler never paid her any notice and would continue his activity as she went back to hers. Eventually though, she had enough and even as they left the sandy desert behind as they continued eastbound she whirled around to face the snickering teen, her hands on her hips and her eyes closed into slits as she glared daggers at him.

The third passenger was trying (and failing) to ignore the volume of the pair as their voices grew louder and louder, and had settled behind the controls of the train, rubbing his temples with his index fingers in an attempt to assuage the oncoming headache. It wasn't working and he sighed in increasing annoyance, restraining himself as the urge to throw them _both _from the train grew in its intensity.

Now that they had managed to secure themselves with a mode of transportation to cut the travelling time down, he was trying to come up with their next plan. There was no doubt in his mind that Timber was still under occupation, and they would have to come up with a means of boarding the train to Balamb without being spotted or caught. Squall was pretty sure that their identities had been covered by now, and they had to plan accordingly before word of their escape reached the right channels.

The noise of the engine wasn't helping settle his headache and he closed his eyes as though trying to hold it back that way. In all honesty, all he really wanted to do was curl up into a ball and sleep for the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, they didn't have the luxury of time and he was just going to have to wait until they reached Balamb and _somehow _stopped the missiles from destroying the Garden.

_Even if the Galbadians launch the missiles after the others reach the base, there's next to no chance that we'll get back in time…_ Squall thought to himself in dismay, thinking about the hour long trip it was going to take to reach Timber from where they were currently. _Still, it doesn't mean we can't try, I guess. _

"Zell, that was _mean_!" Rinoa said sharply, drawing the Squad leader from his thoughts and directing his attention towards the ensuing confict. Zell's laughter had died down to a chuckle with an occasional snort, even at the withering look she was throwing in his direction.

"Nah, it was funny," Zell waved off, sounding a lot like Seifer. Squall decided against informing the brawler of the comparison and simply watched as Rinoa's look darkened. Finally the smile fell from his features. Zell must have realized he'd seriously offended the girl and he coughed awkwardly as her eyes narrowed even more. "What the hell? We just got held against our will by those soldiers, and you can't even _laugh_ at 'em as they fell on their asses?" He looked slightly incredulous.

"That's _not_ the point!" Rinoa shot back. "They're _still_ human beings! They could have been seriously hurt!"

"So what? You think we shoulda _asked_ 'em to borrow the train?" Zell snorted. "Yeah, that's not asking to be locked up again."

"Zell!"

The brawler shook his head. "What? It's true? Even if we weren't convicted criminals who just escaped from that stupid prison, they woulda locked us up, seeing as how we were _trespassing_. And what's with you anyway? I thought you hated the Galbadian military."

"I do!" Rinoa protested, suddenly getting defensive. "I hate what they've done under Deling's rule and what they did to Timber all those years ago. I hate that Timber is under occupation and that it's not even considered a country anymore. But that doesn't mean the soldiers who worked under Deling weren't human beings. It doesn't mean I would wish anything bad on them or anything! Not even Deling deserved what happened to him!"

She shuddered suddenly. Squall didn't have to be a mind reader to know that Rinoa was reliving the images of Vinzer Deling's corpse after Sorceress Edea had killed him on the night of the parade. By the time he and Irvine had reached the platform, the body hadn't been much but a smouldering husk of meat. When Rinoa had seen him, the sight of him must have been even more gruesome. He frowned to himself as he realized he was constantly forgetting that Rinoa was a civilian first. She hadn't endured the same kind of emotional training as they had, and was probably still shaken about what had happened.

The fact that she had been attacked and almost died right after the late President didn't help matters.

Not willing to participate in the awkward conversation, Squall turned his attention away from it and instead gazed out through the window. It was roughly the middle of the afternoon and the sky was blanketed by white puffy clouds that gave them reprieve from the sun, if only for the moment. But it wasn't the sun or any sign of weather changes that had him staring intently at the sky above. He was looking for a sign of anything out of the ordinary. They hadn't actually seen any missiles in the sky since their departure from the prison, not even a trace of vapour could be discerned from the cloud cover. The sight surprised him, and yet at the same time it didn't. The soldier reporting to Seifer had said the Missile Base was ready, or at least that was how he remembered it. That could mean one of two possibilities. There was the more negative outcome that meant the missiles had already launched, as well as the hopeful outlook that the missiles had yet to launch at all.

To be perfectly honest with himself, Squall was fairly certain that the former thought was far more plausible. They had been locked up for about a week now (or at least, that was what Zell and Rinoa had said when he'd asked), and it seemed ludicrous for the Sorceress to simply wait that long before retaliating. She had a reason after all. SeeD tried to kill her and she was simply returning the gesture. But then there was the question of the report Seifer had received, of how the Missile Base was finally ready. Did that mean there had been some kind of delay? That something had somehow interfered with the launch and that they were, only now, ready to proceed as planned?

It was a thought that was filled with a small glimmer of hope and as much as he didn't want to set himself up for a fall should the negative outcome be the result, he couldn't help but cling to it, because that would mean there was _still_ a reason for rushing to Balamb Garden and attempting to warn the people within of the upcoming attack.

But even then, he couldn't help but question the convenience of it all. It was possible he had simply imagined the conversation and that Seifer had simply let him in on the secret as a security measure in the event they somehow managed to escape. But the former cadet had seemed so sure that they were trapped. Seifer was by no means stupid. Arrogant, maybe. Cocky, more likely. Full of himself, absolutely. But definitely not stupid. He would only let something that big slip if he knew there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. Squall knew him well enough to know that was true.

_So then... what's stopping them from launching?_ He couldn't help but wonder as he continued to take in the sky overhead...

* * *

Taking in the clock overhead, he scowled as he looked over his official study. Placed in the centre of the room was a desk with a window that was curved outward positioned beyond it. Settled between the two objects was a stuffed leather office chair that look as though it was well worn in, and beneath the desk and chair was a circular carpet, coloured with an assortment of green and blues that were not distasteful. The walls were scarcely decorated, most of them encompassing shelves for the numerous books he kept stored and a couple of small tables that held vases and papers.

He was pacing. It was a nervous habit he had obtained throughout the years he had spent in his occupation. He had to leave now, that much he knew, but he couldn't disappear just yet, not without what he held most dear to him.

While peace had befallen the city once more since the failed assassination attempt, he was far from relaxed. The mission was a failure and the Sorceress had apprehended the ones responsible for the attack. When he'd heard word from the sharpshooter of the disaster he had felt as though a hand had wrapped his heart in a vice. That, at any given moment, those fingers would constrict and he would suffer a death both steadfast and painful. It was the best that he could expect, especially were she to learn of his own role to play in the disastrous evening.

Soon after the debriefing, he had learned that he did not know true suffering and by the end of the teleconference, he had already given up for lost. First, he had lost his job, the very occupation that had given his life meaning since the night of the crash that had stolen Julia from him. Ten years later, he lost his daughter, and just when he thought that he might have gotten her back (whether she liked it or not) he'd allowed her to slip through his fingers once again. The Sorceress had managed to do what he had failed to and now she was using the young girl's life to her own advantage.

He had been instructed to wait a week before sending someone to retrieve her. The former General had no doubt in his mind that the Sorceress intended to investigate the information he had given her in order to deem whether or not he could be trusted. He had no dreams of recommencing his post as the Military General. Why would she risk utilizing someone she knew had tried to have her killed? And he knew that if the Sorceress couldn't utilize someone to her own devices, to her advantage, then they were useless in her eyes.

He assumed that someone would be there shortly to do away with him, so that she would have no further objection to reigning over the country. He had no intention of simply laying down his life, but first he had to ensure that his daughter was properly taken care of. He would not leave Deling City, not without her.

With that thought in mind, he had sent the sharpshooter to the Desert District Prison with the task of retrieving her and bringing her back to the mansion, where they would both disappear out of the Sorceress' reach. He would not allow Edea to use Rinoa against him, not twice.

But now he was beginning to worry. Kinneas had assured him that he would be available via radio contact, and that the General would receive timely updates on the task's status. That had been a long while ago. It only took six hours to drive to the prison and another six to return, but the sharpshooter had been gone longer than that. He should have gotten some notice of a delay, especially by now. It had been fourteen hours since he'd been sent out.

He heard a whine from nearby, and he looked down to his left to see a collie looking up from the side of his desk - the canine had settled there a little while ago. She stared at him for a fleeting moment before whining once again.

Reaching down, he scratched at the dog's ears, watching as the animal settled back into a lying position on the carpet. Ibrihim Caraway sighed wearily as he took in Angelo's presence. She looked to be just over a year old and well taken care of. Rinoa must have gotten the collie shortly after she'd left the mansion. Caraway was no stranger to having dogs around the house – he had owned a little Rottweiler that the family had cherished, but the poor thing had been run over just before Julia had gotten into a car crash. Ever since then, he had forbidden the presence of any animals within the household.

His eyes moved over the walls that surrounded him towards the clock over the door. He'd had the contraption positioned in that spot specifically for the purpose of checking the time – he tended to become engrossed in military affairs if left to his own devices for too long. His frown deepened, not in anger but out of worry. What if the Sorceress broke her word and opted to harm his daughter in his stead? He'd already lost his wife, and he wouldn't stand by and allow death to claim the only family he had left.

Still, that did not mean he had to just sit on his hands and do nothing but wait. Caraway was a man of action – sitting - or pacing - idly was not something he was accustomed to. So instead, he'd made a few phone calls, knowing that Kinneas would probably see to it that the others somehow managed to escape. While the boy had assumed the role of a coward, he didn't quite seem the type to leave his comrades behind, especially if he could help it.

Kinneas never told him this himself. Caraway had discerned this much when he'd been told of the failed mission. Just by listening to the teenager he could tell the sharpshooter was worried about the fate of the SeeDs. It had been obvious that the others' apprehension had distressed him terribly and he was just itching for a chance to save them. The General hadn't asked (it wasn't any of his business), and he was sure that Kinneas had his own motives behind his feelings, which was why he had sent him instead of a personal guard. He knew the SeeDs would never forgive him for what he'd traded to the Sorceress, and had no idea whether or not the Galbadia Garden student would divulge such information. He had no doubt, though, that they would find out in due time.

But the business he had concluded within the last twelve hours should at least begin to smooth things over. If he knew SeeD well enough (and he figured he did – after all he'd spent little over a decade fending the mercenary force off), then he could wager a guess as to where they would be headed next should they escape the prison. All he'd had to do was make a few phone calls, and he was grateful for the fact that the Sorceress had not made his resignation public. At least, not yet.

But soon, the news would wade through the ranks of the Galbadian military and then his hands would truly be tied.

And in the meantime, he could only hope that he'd bought them enough time to do what he knew they would be attempting at that very moment.

Even though he knew that one of the Missile Base's targets was doomed to destruction, and that it would only be a matter of time before the missiles fired at the second, he hoped the SeeDs would get there before any more damage could be done. For both SeeD's sake _and_ that of Galbadia's.

* * *

They were ready to rock and roll.

Everyone had been shocked when Rinoa and Irvine had broken the news about the Missile attacks on the Gardens, but no one had been more devastated than _she_ had been, and she had good reason to be. For as long as she could remember, she had lived in the Trabian Bika Fields where the smallest Garden was situated. Like she'd explained earlier, her roots were with that Garden and so were her memories. The training she'd undergone, the friends she'd made who felt more like family to her and all the fun times they'd had when everyone had pooled together to work on the Garden Festival and had totally rocked out were things she would never forget.

When she'd first transferred to Balamb Garden, she had been easily intimidated by its sheer size in comparison to her home Garden. If it hadn't been for Squall showing her around, she doubted that she'd have made it to the front hall in time for the Field Exam and she never would have made SeeD if that had happened. But she couldn't have been more disappointed than when she'd discovered that Balamb's Garden Festival was in jeopardy because they didn't have a GFC (Garden Festival Committee). Its chair had left to pursue other interests, leaving the committee pretty much abandoned. But she'd quickly decided she would strive to make their Garden Festival the greatest in all of history. She'd rolled up her sleeves and was currently working on teaching the bigger Garden how things got done.

So once the Field Exam had been over and done with (what a complete disaster _that_ had been), she'd used her free time (she'd been ecstatic to learn that she was more or less ahead of the other three inaugurated SeeDs, so much so that for the first few days, she hadn't needed to attend their enhancement training at all) to fix up the web page for the committee. And even when that had been done, she'd had enough space to add an online journal, where she formally introduced herself as the Committee's chair.

Like the first message had read, she hadn't wanted to leave Trabia Garden because of all the ties she'd made, but the next thing she'd known, she'd finished all of her formal training and had filled out the application. Her last day before the transfer had been one of the saddest and yet happiest moments of her life. All of her friends had thrown her the biggest party she had ever been to. There had been laughs, excitement, and tons of tearful goodbyes as they'd partied into the night before she'd boarded the boat to take her to the sunnier continent, but it had been one of the best nights of her life and she'd promised to visit whenever she had time off, never once stopping to think that she would fail in joining the SeeD mercenary force.

And now she was facing the prospect of her both her homes being destroyed by the Sorceress. Major bummer didn't even _cover_ her feelings on that one.

She had meant every single word of what she'd said to Squall before she left. She _had_ to go to the Missile Base to stop the launch and blow it up. For her everything was at stake and she wasn't stupid enough to believe for a _second_ that she'd be able to reach Trabia in time and warn them to evacuate. While Squall and the others were already on their way to Balamb to do just that, it was her team's job to delay, if not stop, the missiles.

And oh was she going to stop them.

The importance of this mission was the reason why she hadn't taken her place behind the wheel and raced straight to the Missile Base, because if she suddenly rammed into the building, the Galbadians would know something was up immediately, and with the plan they'd come up with that couldn't happen at all. If anything, it would cause them to launch the missiles while they were being distracted. Quistis was the most sedate driver out of all of them (though she'd never honestly seen Irvine drive a car before) and she figured that it would be better if a less emotionally involved member of the team pulled up to the front gate of the building.

In an attempt to prove herself useful during the drive to the Missile Base, Selphie had instead helped Irvine search the equipment they'd found in the trunk (fortunately, Irvine had been thoughtful enough to stash everyone's gear with them to the prison, and they'd split their belongings amongst each other before splitting up. It meant they wouldn't have to worry about provisions), and it was from what they'd discovered that gave them the idea that infiltration was probably their best bet if they wanted to get anywhere near the controls to the missiles. Among the things they'd discovered in the trunk were three uniforms that would fit everyone (though Selphie's was slightly bigger than what her frame needed. Irvine had assured her that the difference wasn't really all that obvious, though she wasn't completely convinced) and ID badges for each of them that would (they hoped) get them inside the base.

When the dirt road they drove along shifted to gravel, Selphie began to feel the first stirrings of nervousness. They'd only _just_ barely managed escaped from the prison in the desert with the skin on their backs and if they botched this mission, the enemy wasn't gonna take any risks this time and was bound make a quick execution of them. It was like she already knew. Everything was at stake here and they couldn't afford to mess things up.

In the distance, she could only barely make out the Missile Base. It looked like four cylindrical objects that had shot out of a box. She concluded that was probably the erected barrier. She could even make out a steel gateway ahead behind a smaller cube-like structure. As they drew closer to the base, she could see things more distinctly. The smaller cube-like structure was actually a security check point and a yellow bar with black stripes that was set horizontally across the road was probably done so to bar any unwanted vehicles entry until they passed the check.

Selphie knew that the stupid wooden bar wouldn't have kept her out if she'd opted to ram into the base instead.

"How many of you?" The security guard asked as they rolled to a stop in front of the checkpoint.

"Just three," Irvine drawled casually from the passenger side of the car while Quistis kept her attention fixed right ahead of her. He handed over all three ID badges and Selphie - sitting in the back seat - held her breath as the guard inspected them. The uniform she was wearing was beginning to chafe and she was getting the urge to scratch even more now that they were under scrutiny than when she'd first put it on. How the hell did anyone wear these stupid things?

The security guard – dressed in full out soldier garb – inspected the IDs, flipping them over and looking for any indication that they were fake. Selphie didn't dare move, because she didn't want to draw any attention onto herself and knew that she was probably trembling. Quistis and Irvine, meanwhile, looked like this was just a routine trip for them and she envied just how calm and collected they could act under pressure. She kept her lips pressed against each other to keep from speaking out, in the hopes that it would keep their facade up and speed the guard into letting them by, all the while wishing that her nunchaku hadn't been locked up in the trunk of the car where it was out of her reach - it was way too big and noticeable for her to have it with her in this disguise.

After what felt like a long wait, the guard returned the IDs to Irvine and said in an official tone of voice, "Alright, you're cleared. You can go in now."

Selphie blinked in surprise, and before she knew it, the stupid yellow bar was gone and the gate opened up just as Quistis drove the vehicle forward, passing through the sliding doors as they made their way inside. She'd expected for the guard to want to see their faces to match them up with the IDs, or even a search of the vehicle, but instead he was just waving them through, like he'd seen them every single day. She wondered about the lack of security as Irvine said something cordially to the guard as they entered the base. After a few minutes of driving into the courtyard, Quistis backed the car into a parking spot before cutting the engine.

All three of them emerged from the car, dressed from head to toe in blue-green coloured janitorial gear. The caps on their heads were enough to shield their faces (for the most part) from view, but Selphie didn't like the pale green colour on her. On the ride, she'd managed to straighten out her hair, so that it fell to her shoulders rather than curling up at the ends as it had initially. Quistis had tied her hair into a simple low ponytail. It looked unnatural on her, but maybe that was because the younger girl had always seen it up in that fishtail bun. Irvine had his tied back like he usually did, and they were banking on the Galbadians being completely involved in the missile launch that they didn't notice the similarities. And considering he hadn't _actually_ been formally arrested by the Galbadians at the parade, there was a possibility they wouldn't recognize him at all. The fact that the cowboy hat was missing seemed to help their odds a lot though, since the sharpshooter was _never_ seen without it (not if he could help it at least)

"I'm surprised that actually worked," Quistis said as she fixed the hat on her head. "Though I wouldn't knock our good fortune. While the janitorial staff will get us inside and into many of the rooms, I doubt we'll have any access to places that hold the missile controls."

"I'd reckon yer right," Irvine said in agreement. "We may not be able ta get ta tha rockets, but I think it's safe ta say we can cause enough damage ta sabotage and stall 'em. Least it'll give Squall and tha other's time ta reach tha Garden."

"So the first thing we should probably do is find out the launch times." Quistis mused aloud. "There should be one at different intervals, since their targets are too far apart to hit in one strike."

"Who _cares_ about the launch time?" Selphie exclaimed, causing both her team mates to jump. "Our job's to stop the missiles! That's all there is to it. If we see a door, we go in. If there's something we can smash, we smash it. And in the end, we'll blow this place to smithereens!"

Quistis looked less than enthused by this kind of plan, but Irvine on the other hand was grinning. "I like tha way ya think, Selphie. So I reckon we get this show on the road. If we're gonna do any o' that, we're gonna need some clearance."

"Though standing around talking about our plan where anyone could listen in is probably not a good idea," Quistis commented as she took a look around. They were still in the parking lot, but fortunately there wasn't anyone around.

Selphie grinned sheepishly. She'd gotten so excited her surroundings had just slipped her mind. "Oopsie."

"Relax, Quisty," Irvine drawled as he draped an arm around her shoulder. The former instructor shrugged it off irritably, but Irvine didn't appear to mind. "We'll do this thing up real nice like. It'll be like a bow on a Christmas present."

"So let's get this show on the road already!" Selphie cheered, to which the others nodded. Once that was all cleared up, they made their way towards the entrance, knowing that there was no turning back now.

* * *

_First things first; yep, I'm _totally_ ripping this arc a new one!_

_The reason being for this is because I really hated this arc. Playing it, you could get it over and done with really quickly and I guess there were a few quirky perks that got a few good laughs (the first few times you saw them anyway), but as a whole, they made no sense as a novel, so I figured I would fix a few things up a bit. For starters, if they infiltrated a soldiers, there would be a series of ranks they would have to follow in order to get where they wanted to. Of course it would seem too convenient to get them a rank that allows them to go everywhere, which is why they're disguising themselves as janitors instead. That way, they still retain the freedom, but they're not so highly rank as to just skate by and do as they like. They have to actually work for it._

_Secondly, I added the short scene with Caraway because Square really didn't give him the due credit (I feel) he deserves. We only focused on Rinoa's side of the story about them falling out and I've always thought there was far more to it than what we got. As I continued to play the game, I realized that Caraway still cares for Rinoa very deeply (a really cruel character wouldn't care for someone that much, regardless of blood relation) and I've always felt that Rinoa is being far to stubborn in that regard. That being said, that's what makes Rinoa Rinoa, her stubborness, and I wouldn't change that for anything to be perfectly honest._


	15. Chapter XIII: Lines of Communication

**Edited:**_ 06/24/10_

* * *

**Chapter XIII:  
Lines of Communication**

* * *

The parking lot was a large empty space, barricaded by walls several metres tall. Guard posts were stationed at each corner of the rectangular shaped circumference, the roofs forming raiser-sharp triangles that were about as lethal as the barbed wire curled along the tops of the barrier. Everything was a dull jaundiced colour, though the paint job looked fairly recent, despite the structure having stood for only Hyne knew how long.

The space cordoned off by the walls that towered over them were almost bare. The grounds beneath their feet were unmarked save for the white lines of paint that sectioned off parking spaces. Vehicles of the same kind that they had ridden in on filled each of these spaces, leaving a solid five feet wide gap to walk the length to the building at the end of the parking lot leading into the base itself. Behind it was a slightly large tower, the windows taking up space just beneath its roof, a means normally used by supervisors to oversee the outer layer of the base.

Mindful of the surveillance cameras littered about the area, the trio made their way to the smaller building trying to avoid looking too conspicuous. Inside they were met with a set of stairs and – with a groan – they made their way down them. After about three flights, they reached the very bottom at long last, only to be deterred by a set of doors. When Selphie tried to simply walk through them (up until this point, the doors had all been electronic sliding entrances left unlocked for anyone to step through), she had instead walked into it when it refused to grant her entrance. She'd almost thrown a fit until Irvine reminded her that their ID's would also serve as keycards.

After the obstacle had been passed, the trio had met with another group of janitorial staff who had just arrived for the day. They were able to shadow after the group without being noticed and eventually this led them into a large room where people wearing the same uniform as them were all seemingly waiting for something. He assumed this had to be some kind of meeting room and was grateful they'd ran into the group all the same. Who knew what would've happened if they'd been caught wandering the base.

Everyone was standing in a long row made of five bodies at least, and stretched into three columns. Splitting up, the trio took their places among the janitors and simply waited for whatever it was to happen. Irvine counted at least a total of fifteen people (themselves included) and he whistled in appreciation. He wondered if this was the norm before shaking his head. It probably was, what with the size of the building. The additional bodies would most definitely come in handy, what with the long and thankless hours these people would have to work.

Suddenly, his thoughts went back to Galbadia Garden, to how clean and tidy the place was and he suddenly wondered about the staff. The notion was fleeting however, particularly when another woman entered the room, her very presence commanding so much respect that a hush fell about the room, their attention turning to the front even as people nudged and poked at those who had failed to notice. It was obvious she was the gal in charge. She was tall and rather skinny for Irvine's taste, her uniform lumping in some places and looking as though it was maybe a tad too big for her. Her dirty-blonde hair – nasty looking and appearing to have the consistency of straw – was pulled back into a tight but messy bun that probably had Quistis cringing. Loose strands framed her face in an unflattering manner, a face that was small and rather beady. It didn't look right at all, more like she was wearing a really nasty looking wig.

But while her appearance made her look like a lightweight or an easy target, there was meanness in her features that made potential attackers wary. It was the years of experience in eyes that were permanently narrowed into slits like the width of a Gil piece, the sight that told all about her that she was not one to be reckoned with and those who tried would pay a toll so high later generations would feel its sting of pain. The lines in her face gave the impression that she had been carved from some tough bark and the way she scrutinized her co-workers gave Irvine the impression that, surprisingly, she was a lot older than she looked. He was willing to bet Gil that she'd been working in places like this in this very occupation for years now.

Gulping lightly though focusing on remaining unnoticed, Irvine sincerely hoped that, for her sake, the Galbadians were decent enough to fork over her pension once the base was blown to shrapnel.

"Listen up!" her voice boomed loudly, easily clearing the width of the room. It was deeper and far rougher than most women and a far contrast to the sharp and squeaky tone he had been expecting. "Today's different from all them other days! For one, the jarheads are _actually _earnin' their Gil for a change."

She snorted at her own joke as several other snickers filled the room. Irvine thought it would be stating the obvious to note how she appeared to be against soldier types. Craning his head to the side to get a look at the girls, he barely managed to catch the sight of a brunette near the front giggling into her hand. Unfortunately, this woman seemed to notice the action and fixed her attention to the girl, her eyebrow raising slightly. Irvine's heart jumped into his throat the sight.

"Well lookie hear," she barked, instantly silencing the snickering. "We gots ourselves a new kid on the block."

Selphie immediately stopped her giggling and looked around, probably trying to see who the woman was indicating. It only took a second for the truth to sink in and she was suddenly staring straight ahead, her neck disappearing between her shoulder blades as she tried to shrink down and become invisible.

"Look at ya! You're so damned _tiny_. Almost didn't see ya beside _Johnny_, and he ain't necessarily a giant neither. Yeah, I said what we're all thinkin'. You look a lot like my son. When he was a _toddler_. You even _old _enough ta work, girlie?"

Trying hard not to jump in and draw any attention onto himself, Irvine tried to hush the alarm bells that were going off in his mind. Why hadn't they taken into account Selphie's unusual height? Prior to their meeting at Galbadia Garden before the mission was to take place, he had never before seen anyone so small who was at her age. If it hadn't been for her stubborn determination to be on this mission, it was most likely she would have _not _been recommended for the operation they were about to conduct and for good reason. Sadly they were here now, and there wasn't much they could do about it.

Looking to his left, he managed to spy Quistis just metres away from the smaller girl. While she was trying to remain almost uninterested in the conversation, Irvine caught her eye and the minute nod she sent his way. Forever the SeeD, Quistis was waiting for the signal that would spring them into action. Her glasses had been removed for the purpose of the mission and were safely secured within the confines of the pouch she wore along her waist to avoid recognition. Along with her hair tied in the ponytail, she looked like a completely different person.

"I'm working my way through college," Selphie squeaked out in answer to the intimidating woman's question. From the tentative nature of the response, she was thinking along the same lines they were.

But then the woman laughed suddenly. It was loud sound, something Irvine would have normally equated with robust sailors. "Relax girlie. I'm just messin' with ya. It ain't glorious work but it sure as hell pay's tha bills. You'll pave your way through school jest fine if ya ask me. But don't. Soon as I got my diploma I sure as hell wasn't 'bout ta pay ta go back. Dumb mistake on my part, but we won't get inta that."

Selphie relaxed almost visibly, seemingly relieved at the close encounter. Irvine felt the tension ease from his shoulders but at the sight he frowned, wondering if all SeeDs were this readable. Looking over at Quistis, he decided this was not the case, and he couldn't help but wonder just how long the smaller girl had been in the field for.

"Name's Betty, for tha record," the woman continued. More than likely the introduction was for Selphie's benefit. "As you've probably already guessed, I'm in charge of tha custodial staff and man oh man are them soldiers' _pigs_! Can't even be bothered ta make their own bed let alone clean up after themselves. I mean, really. Do I _look _like their mommas? Don't answer that," she pointed sharply at the opposite side of the room, though with how closely huddled together they were it was difficult to make out exactly who she was directing her attention to now. "I mean it. Just 'cuz a door get's opened don't mean it's safe ta just walk on through."

She turned her attention away – after throwing one last narrowed look in the direction of some presumed smartass – and back to the subject at hand. "Seriously though, I reckon I could use a gal your size. Might make cleanin' all the smaller area's easier. _You _sure as hell won't get stuck, and Hyne _knows _they haven't been done in a while."

Irvine winced at that, instantly feeling terrible for the small girl. For her part, Selphie simply bowed her head meekly and Irvine could tell she was fighting back the grimace at the very thought.

"Alright, alright, the fun and games are over. Like I said, today's different. I know I been sayin' it all week, but now that the bigwigs at DC have _finally _sorted their papers from their wristwatches, the missile launch's finally taken' place today. And as funny as it's been ta watch the losers run around like chicken's without their heads all damned day, we need ta keep ta our own damned tasks."

At this Irvine's back straightened as he listened to the woman speak, thankful that they were getting the impromptu update. Of course, he had known that Caraway had been up to something for the last week while he was waiting for word on his daughter, but he hadn't thought the former General would've been able to pull off the stall for as long as he had. But it looked like their extended leave had run up, and now all they could do was make what little use they could from the borrowed time.

"There'll be two launches today," Betty continued. "One o' 'ems already come and gone, 'bout an hour ago now, but they've still got one more ta go. Calibrations and whatnot ta get them ta the sunny country o' Balamb. Ain't had a problem with them folks over there. Was actually considerin' retiring over there. Not no more though, not if Galbadia's gonna up and _shoot _'em for harbouring tha enemy."

Irvine very barely managed to restrain himself from sighing in relief. The others still had time to get to Balamb before the missiles launched. They would need probably little under a day and he wasn't sure if that time was doable but he sure as hell would try. But that relief washed away as Betty's words rang through his mind, reminding him that one launch had already commenced. Unfortunately, Trabia was doomed and he felt for Selphie, now knowing that the gal had grown up there. The news stung him hard but he had no idea – nor would he assume otherwise – how Selphie was holding up.

Looking over the heads of people trying to make out the shorter girl, he was surprised to see that her attention was focused ahead of her. Her body language failed to tell him just how she had taken the news and he realized she wasn't letting it, utilizing the training she'd learned from the Gardens to mask her feelings and to allow her to focus on the mission. It was a contrast to what he had witnessed thus far and he wondered if maybe SeeDs were trained to put the emotional training to good use when it needed to be instead of all the time.

Looking over to Quistis, he spotted the elder girl lower her head slightly. At first glance he thought she was pushing her hair from her face but he caught the sight of her lips moving. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but somehow he sensed she was offering a prayer for the Garden up north. The former instructor probably felt about as helpless as Irvine did when he thought about Trabia, but it looked like the girls weren't about to give up just because they failed to save one. Irvine agreed, preferring to think on the positive. One outta two sure as hell wasn't bad, was it?

So if they weren't gonna throw in the towel and admit defeat, why the hell should he even consider it?

"So if tha guards give ya any lip, pay 'em no mind," Betty concluded. "Fuckin' slackers are so use ta bummin' around and actin' like they own tha place that they get real agitated real quick if ya put 'em ta work and they can't get outta it. Doesn't mean we'll let it slide though. If they so much as look at ya funny, report their asses ta me and I'll sure as hell straighten 'em out later if it gets _real _bad."

She started rolling off their assignments as she patrolled along her subordinates, sending them to the locations they were forced to guard over and ensure their cleanliness and giving them the expected time they were to head out on break ("Unless it's a life or death situation, I wanna see yer butts punchin' in and out for your breaks, or you lose it! You understand me?"). He managed to overhear Betty as she handed out Selphie's assignment (because she was so tiny she was stuck cleaning out the supply closet), and after a minute, the elder woman reached Quistis (she and a few other unfortunate souls were assigned to clean out the latrines, a task that Irvine did not envy).

So far, it didn't look like any of them were going to get anywhere near close to what they needed. Janitors were granted access cards to almost every single room, the exception being the rooms that held the missile controls and the base command centre. But when he received his own assignment, he was pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised. It was good news, because the area he was expected to mop up was fairly close to a cordoned off room he had spotted on the way to this place, one with an access card he'd been fairly sure his own keycard would not have worked in. There was just something about that room that screamed 'I'm important' and he applauded himself on the good work.

But it was bad news because he didn't know how the hell he was gonna make his way inside. Selphie was the expert hacker – or so she'd told them on the trip to the base – and she woulda been able to make that keycard reader sing for her if she'd wanted it to. And if there were computers past that door, then he'd be even more screwed. Technology was most definitely _not _his forte. He could use it, but ask him how to build a computer or hack into systems normally out of bounds and making everything go haywire was just not his area of expertise.

So he'd moved onto plan b – convince Betty ta let him switch jobs with Selphie and get her to work her magic. It hadn't worked out so well and now – a while after they'd received their assignments – he was in that damned hallway mopping up the floors while being accompanied by sour thoughts.

He'd tried to flirt with the elder woman once everyone had gone off to do their thing. In all his life, his charm and charisma had been his best asset, second only to his marksmanship skills, and to this very day no woman had _ever _been able to resist his charms. He'd tried to woo her off her feet, to make her feel pretty and special just like he did with all those other girls. What he had not expected, however, was the woman to be tough as steel and to even go as far as to threaten bodily harm if he didn't shut up and get to work. Deciding that it would be safer (and less harmful) in the long run to do as he was told, he left her to it, all the while thankful that no one else had been present for that little spectacle.

He whistled up a tune as he worked, begrudgingly dipping the mop back into the mobile bucket of soapy water before ringing it out as best he could and sloshing it against the floor. The whistling was just to give the impression that he was happy with his job when in all honesty he couldn't stand it. Irvine prided himself as being a neat guy and all, but cleaning up other people's messes just didn't sit well by him. If someone else couldn't make their own damned bed, why should _he _be the one to do it after 'em?

He was glad that Selphie and Quistis had, at least, been prepared for this. Because they were cordoned off in different places of the base, there was no way they could abandon their posts in order to go run off and find each other. First of all, the soldiers would catch 'em and if they didn't, the surveillance cameras certainly would. Fortunately this had been easily rectified. Before arriving at the base, the girls had pulled out small communication devices that they had used during their respective missions. And it was a good thing too, because they would be able to talk to one another without having to do all that running. They just had to be clever about it.

And even more brilliant was the fact that Selphie had a spare from her mission, which meant he wasn't the one left without a paddle.

Between washing the floors, ringing out the mop and trying to clean up the access water that he hadn't quite rung out properly, Irvine found himself throwing covert glances at that mysterious door he kept passing every half hour or so, trying to find a way to get in. He continued to whistle jovially as he tried to work his head around it. He'd already tried using his own keycard just in case he had been wrong in his earlier assumption. Equipped with the excuse that he wanted to sweep around inside in case any of the patrolling soldiers came walking by as he did it, he had found that, like he had assumed before, he didn't have the clearance necessary to get in. In order to keep the people watching the cameras off his back, he had made the gesture look as though he were simply cleaning the slot and then he'd gone back to his mopping.

That synched it in his mind. Something important was _definitely_ behind that door. Even better for him was that even after five minutes after the attempt there were no guards charging down the hall making to arrest him. The ploy had worked like a charm.

Irvine moved right along but just as he did he heard Selphie's voice clear as day through the earpiece he was wearing. Apparently the maintenance team was talking about sending someone over to inspect the machines inside the tech room. She also made it painstakingly clear that it was the room near the front of the base, which was where he currently was.

Grinning to himself, he thanked Selphie before he went back to work, a spring in his step at the news and his whistling returning with a vengeance. At least he hadn't started singing (apparently there was a limit on the things he could do well and singing was well beyond that limit). He moved up along the catwalk looked over the railing as he dragged a dust-rag along the surface at the missiles that were being moved down below.

But then he heard footsteps from beyond and voices carrying as a couple of people approached his position. Grinning to himself he came up with an idea and he quickly set to work. Pulling the mop out of the bucket water, he failed to ring it out this time and sloppily slapped it along the floor, spreading the water along a small area and hoping the approaching personnel didn't have much traction in his or her shoes. Then, he went back to cleaning the railing as he whistled.

From the corner of his eye, he realized the people that were approaching him were soldiers. They were outfitted in matching camouflage gear, but instead of an assortment of greens, it was a mixed combination of beige and white. He assumed it was to match with the desert surroundings in the event the base came under attack. Suddenly he was very glad they opted with infiltration rather than full out ramming the place like he'd expected Selphie to want to do.

He continued to work, acting as though he were oblivious to the soldier's movements and his ploy worked like a charm. One of the soldiers stepped into the murky water puddle and he threw his arms out in an attempt to steady his balance. Unfortunately, the closest thing to the soldier was the soldier ahead of him and like clockwork, the pair were sitting on their rear ends cursing and no doubt wondering what the hell had happened.

Putting his acting skills to the test, Irvine had whirled around the moment he had heard their surprised exclamations and rushed on in to save the day. "Didn'ya read tha sign?" He asked them both sharply as he indicated towards the wet-floor sign he had set up nearby. He gave more emphasis on his accent than normal, making it sound heavier, thicker. "It's says 'caution, wet floor'. Ya'll gotta be more careful while I'm moppin' up."

"What the…" the startled soldier said as he took in the water puddle, even as Irvine began the process of helping him to his feet. His feature turned red and he pushed Irvine away once he was steady. "Maybe if you did your _fucking _job the right away, I wouldn't have almost broken my god-damned neck, you _fucking_ idiot! Ring the fucking water out before you mop the floor, jackass!"

Irvine put his hands up defensively as the second soldier pulled the first away. Both men shot Irvine a sour look, but it was the mouthiest of the pair who felt the need to flip Irvine with a rude hand gesture before they continued their way down the hall. Soon enough they were out of sight. Confrontation wasn't something he was comfortable in partaking, especially if _he _was the target.

But, like he did whenever faced with a slight annoyance, Irvine let it roll off his shoulders like water. After all, he got what he'd wanted in the end and he held the keycard he'd swiped from the one soldier in his hand like a playing card, having stashed it up his sleeve as he had helped the soldier to his feet. Still, he couldn't help but tsk at the soldier's use of language or the hand gesture. Betty had warned them all that the soldiers were testy today, but that didn't call for rudeness.

First, he looked around to make sure that the coast was clear, and then he crossed the corridor towards the forbidden door. He slipped the stolen keycard into the slot and it chimed cordially before sliding open, allowing him entrance.

_Score,_ Irvine thought to himself as he looked around – again to make sure no one else was nearby – and stepped inside. It slid closed behind him.

The room was spacious and the light fixtures up in the ceiling were spaced out evenly enough to distribute its light along the whole of the place, giving Irvine the opportunity to take a decent look around. The room was more wide than it was long, and along the far end of the room the walls were covered in modules, keyboards and controls that left the sharpshooter feeling dizzy just thinking about how he was going to operate them. There was another piece of equipment to the right. It looked like some new fangled jukebox with switches and knobs, and along the ceiling at the far end was some kind of readout. What it was reading, Irvine didn't have a clue but it gave him the feeling that he was inside some kind of electrical room.

Unfortunately for him he was now stuck. This kind of equipment would be easy for Selphie to figure out. Quistis might need a minute or two to think and hell even Zell could probably have worked it out. All it made him think about was the massive headache he would get just trying to figure out how to turn the damned thing on.

Still, it wasn't like he was actually gonna _try _and use the equipment. All he had to do was make it stop working. How hard could that be anyhow?

Irvine inspected the machine and found himself wishing that he'd been able to trade areas with Selphie after all. She could have dealt with this lickity-split. All the buttons and giros and knobs and what they signs above them implied them doing just made his head hurt. So after a minute of trying to look for the off switch, he gave up and withdrew his rifle from the holster beneath his uniform shirt.

"When in doubt," he muttered bitterly before taking three shots at the control panels, blowing holes into the surface and causing exposed and broken wires to spark angrily as the whole system malfunctioned. A moment later, the lights went out and Irvine found himself standing in the dark, blinking stupidly in what would have been seen by any onlooker as a brilliant display of comedy. He probably waited all of five seconds before the auxiliary power kicked in. The lights were dim, but he could at least see his hand in front of him.

Deciding that he didn't want to be in the room when the guards showed up (because they'd sure as hell show up because of this) he beat it out of there and rushed back to his cart, having returned his weapon to its previously holstered position. Suddenly the two soldiers from before came back along the catwalk and a third person – outfitted in a navy blue suit that made Irvine think of a repairman – came running along from behind.

"What the hell happened in there?" The repair guy from behind shouted as he came closer – by then Irvine had had the mindset to pretend as though he'd just pulled to a stop.

"I thought I'd seen someone go on in that room," Irvine drawled, playing the role of the confused janitor beautifully. From the looks on their faces they were buying the act hook, line and sinker. "But when I came on down ta take a gander, tha lights all went out. Damn near tripped over mah cart."

The one soldier muttered something that the sharpshooter couldn't catch. From the sounds of it though, it wasn't complimentary but Irvine paid him little mind, if any.

"What's that poking out of your pocket?" His partner asked. It took Irvine a few seconds to register that he was talking to him. Nervously, Irvine checked and realized the stolen ID card was exposed out of his pocket – he'd just shoved it in when he was trying to leave, but hadn't pushed it as far down as he'd thought.

"Oh, I just found it," Irvine said, trying to bluff is way out. If they saw through the lie, then he was a dead man. "Someone musta dropped it onta tha ground. I was gonna return it, I swear man."

The repair guy from behind snatched it out of the sharpshooter's hand to inspect it further – Irvine had held it up for everyone to see. The sharpshooter shrugged nervously as he continued. "Maybe it was tha guy who went on inside before tha power shut off."

"Yeah, maybe," the irritable soldier shrugged. "We'll go in and investigate."

"Hey, isn't this yours, Riley?" The repair guy inquired.

Irritably, Riley snatched the ID card out of the guy's hand and Irvine could swear the man's eyes jumped from their sockets for a brief second. He then searched himself and found that where his badge had been clipped was empty. "Aw, fuck!" He cursed.

"You're gonna catch holy hell, man," his partner said in a tone that said he was glad he wasn't Riley. Riley shot him an indignant glare for his efforts.

"Just get inside and investigate already," the repair guy said wearily before the two soldiers could start bickering. "I'll report to the base commander when we're done inspecting the place.

The three of them entered the room across from him and Irvine, making sure no one else was around, went in after them, reaching once again for his rifle. He couldn't have anyone thinking there was an intruder, and if they did, they could blame this Riley fella for being the traitor. It'd make more sense for a soldier to turn than for a janitor to be an all out spy, after all.

At least that was the reaction he was hoping for.

"Looks like someone shot the control panel," the repair guy was saying as Irvine slipped into the room. "System's fried. The only thing that works are the emergency lights. Maybe a couple other systems too, but I wouldn't hold my breath."

"_Fuck_," Riley sounded really pissed. "How the fuck are we supposed to launch the missiles now?"

"Good question," the repair guy remarked. "The shots look like nothin' I've ever seen before. Might've been from a custom made firearm."

"Ya'll ain't talkin' 'bout this, are ya?" Irvine asked loudly, withdrawing his rifle from its holster. The trio only had enough time to turn around before Irvine shot them all. Having stashed regular ammunition inside the holster, Irvine wasn't surprised when one of his targets took a shot to the head while the others were hit in the chest. Regardless, they all fell into crumpled heaps on the floor.

As quietly as he could, Irvine crouched down beside each of the downed men, checking their vital signs and not finding a glimmer of a pulse. Still, he had trained at Galbadia Garden long enough to know that soldiers were taught how to keep their pulse low and make their attacker think they were dead when they weren't so he shot the pair of soldiers in the head for good measure, taking Riley's ID badge just in case he needed it as well as his partners. For good measure, he grabbed the third guy's as well. It couldn't hurt to be thorough.

Rising from his crouching position, Irvine knew that he wasn't going to like the next part, but that it had to be done anyway. So after securing his rifle back into its holster, the sharpshooter grabbed the legs of the first body and dragged him across the room before stashing him inside of the closet. He did the same thing with the other two before closing and locking the door, hoping that the base was already blown before anyone thought to look in there.

Turning around, he looked around the dim surroundings, his eyes having adjusted to the dark enough to make out the décor. He refrained from whistling this time as he took in the sight. The machines were blown to shit, but there was blood from the blasts the three men had taken. If someone were to walk into the room and that blood was still there, well, it'd be an immediate red flag that something had happened.

Irvine guessed that it was a damned good thing there was a janitor on duty around these parts.

Quickly, he left the room and grabbed a hold of the cleaning cart, whistling as he re-entered the room. He'd have a job ahead of him yet.

* * *

She hadn't known what to expect.

Once she'd been given her assignment, there hadn't been much time for the three of them to go over any kind of plan. They'd _barely_ had enough time to relate their assigned jobs before having to go attend to them and she cursed Irvine and his luck. _She_ could have handled that job in three seconds flat.

But no… Betty wanted _her _to clean out the storage closets inside the base because she was small enough for the job. Once again Selphie cursed her height. It wasn't _her_ fault that genetics had been against her since the day she was born. Being only 5'1" wasn't exactly a cake walk after all, especially when she couldn't reach even the second highest shelf in the stupid storage closet.

She had just finished cleaning one of the closets when she'd overheard someone mention the maintenance team's upcoming inspection of the technical room at the front. Recalling how Irvine had been stationed there, she'd given him a quick warning before making her way to her next place. Unfortunately she was already inside the cramped space cleaning up stains that looked like they'd been there for a while when the power suddenly gave out, causing her to squeak in surprise and knock over the closest shelf, causing whatever was on top of it to hit her square in the head as an avalanche ensued as a result.

Wincing and groaning, Selphie managed to find her way to the door and crawled out of the now even _messier_ storage closet, and realized that the lights were out all over the area. Just as she made it out of the closet the emergency lights came on, painting her surroundings with a dim red glow. At least she could see now.

Despite the attack of storage supplies though, she grinned at the sight. It meant that either Irvine or Quistis had managed to knock out the electrical systems. Since Quistis was currently cleaning out the bathrooms somewhere in the base, she was willing to say that Irvine was the sneaky culprit.

She looked around in case there was anyone coming her way before she tapped the microphone that was placed on the lapel of her uniform shirt. "Testing, one-two-three. All clear?"

It took a moment for anyone to respond and Selphie thought with a gut-clenching feeling that maybe she had made things worse by trying to contact her team. But then a voice – almost as hushed as she was using – responded and she sighed in relief.

"All clear," Quistis responded calmly, but in a whispered voice.

"Can't talk right now," Irvine cut in a second afterwards, "call back later."

There was an audible 'click' and Selphie knew Irvine had disconnected. Scrunching her face up into a scowl, Selphie sighed in exasperation. "What was _that_?"

"I haven't a clue," Quistis responded, sounding equally confused. "Maybe it has something to do with the short in the power."

Selphie blinked. She hadn't thought of that possibility. "I was just gonna ask what _you_ thought had happened. Sure, it's good for us, but I didn't think it was gonna happen _this_ early."

"It's a good thing it did," Quistis said quickly. Selphie got the impression that the former instructor was keeping an eye out for the rest of her '_team' _listening in on her conversation. "From what I've been overhearing, it sounds like they were almost ready to prep the launch."

Selphie sighed in relief at the news. It meant they'd managed to stop the Galbadians, but somehow she got the feeling that it wasn't going to last for very long. Instead of cheering though, Selphie spoke hurriedly into the microphone. "Do you think Irvine somehow had something to do with it?"

"Well, he _was_ the only one out of the three of us who was cleaning around rooms with possible access restrictions." Selphie could hear the verbal shrug in the former instructor's voice, "so it's likely that he somehow got the brilliant idea of causing a black out. Either that, or someone else screwed up by accident."

There was no sarcasm in elder girl's voice and Selphie couldn't help but agree with her. The chances of the missile launch continuing smoothly would be in jeopardy since the majority of the power was out. Auxiliary power could only generate enough electricity for basic operations. "Let's just hope the missile controls are shot by the power failure."

"Don't get your hopes up just yet," Quistis commented in reprisal. "Just because the power is out doesn't mean they can't set them to launch manually. The Galbadian's working here should be trained for when an instance like this ever came about. The only way we'll know for certain that the missiles won't launch…"

"Is if we make sure of it," Selphie finished with a sigh. "Damn, and here I thought we'd gotten off easy."

"It would've made our task a lot easier," Quistis agreed. "Unfortunately, such isn't the case. I've got to go. It sounds like someone _else _is coming my way."

"Over and out," Selphie whispered quickly before cutting off the contact.

After hearing such good news, Selphie couldn't help but feel giddy. It meant that they had more time to figure out how to stop the Galbadians from launching the missiles for good. Again she looked around, in case someone was coming her way, but instead she spotted a security camera fixed onto her location. There was a moment where that giddy feeling transformed into panic but she stopped suddenly, noticing that there was no light or any indication that the camera was even active.

Curious, the teenager tilted her head to the side before rising up from her crouch and approaching the object, her hands folded across her chest as she moved. There was no way she could actually _reach_ the contraption - yet another limitation caused by her height - but from what she could see, it was definitely not watching her, which meant that her earlier conversation with Quistis had gone on unheard.

But that didn't mean the soldiers couldn't access footage from before the blackout. There had to be a way to find out if that was possible.

"What're you doing?"

The voice was low and gruff, and caused Selphie to jump and spin at the same time. She stumbled slightly as she landed awkwardly on her left foot and almost fell painfully onto the ground but was barely able to regain her balance as she looked up at a couple of soldiers who looked as though they had just entered the corridor. Selphie grinned sheepishly as they approached her.

"What're you doing here?" One of the soldiers asked. From their stance she could tell the pair of them were more than just a little agitated.

"I'm cleaning the supply closets," Selphie chirped honestly.

Both soldiers took in the disastrous appearance of the closet and Selphie winced as she had completely forgotten all about the mess she'd made inside. The shelf she had knocked over was propped up against another, and the equipment that had fallen on her was scattered along the floor. Some of the bottles that had fallen had broken, and the contents within – mostly cleaning supplies from the looks of it – had spilled out onto the floor, making the mess look worse than it probably was.

The soldiers exchanged glances after taking in the appearance before turning to regard Selphie. She winced, expecting some kind of remark about her lack of cleaning skills and hoped this didn't blow her cover, but when one of the soldiers spoke up again, it was with a pitying tone instead of the accusatory one she had been expecting. "Looks like you've got your work cut out for you. Leave it for now. You're wanted back at the meeting room for an announcement."

Selphie blinked, not altogether sure of just how she'd gotten lucky but not knocking the fortune and it took a couple of seconds for her to realize the soldiers were willing to take her to the meeting room themselves. Of course that meant she couldn't make any side-trips, but at least they would account for her whereabouts should anyone suspect the blackout was an inside job.

It also meant she didn't have to clean anymore. That in itself was a bonus since she _hated _cleaning up after other people.

She'd left her cart behind as she'd followed the soldiers and soon she was entering the meeting room while the soldiers returned to their post. She spotted Quistis already in formation with the rest of the staff, and both girls exchanged brief puzzled looks between one another before looking away in case anyone noticed.

Selphie guessed that it had to have been Irvine who had cut the power and she could almost hear him shrieking in his wannabe cowboy style 'Yee-ha!' as that rifle of his shot the controls to shit.

Ironically enough, just as the thought had crossed her mind, someone bumped into her from behind, knocking her forward and onto the ground. She winced in pain and when she looked up to glare at the perpetrator, she recognized the sharpshooter, who threw her an apologetic look and offered to help her up. She accepted the hand and when she was back up onto her feet, they parted ways, Selphie making a bee-line for the very front so that she could actually see what was happening in front of her instead of being stuck standing behind someone as tall as Irvine.

Betty entered the room shortly afterwards, followed closely by a man wearing a red spandex jumpsuit beneath metallic armour. He reminded her of Biggs from the Dollet fiasco and, recently, the Galbadian prison. She only had a second to wonder why he wasn't wearing the same camo gear as the rest of the soldiers in the building before he called for attention.

"As you are all well aware, the base is suffering from a power failure," the soldier said. There was a distinct displeasure of being forced to admit the obvious. "It is currently under investigation, but as such we will need the assistance of the group of you in order to proceed with the Missile launch."

"Cleaning duties will be suspended until further notice," Betty interjected. "None of my people are getting killed falling over a railin' because they can't see three feet in front of 'em."

"So instead," the Galbadian officer continued almost dismissively. Selphie caught Betty glaring at him, "we're going to utilise your services for the military. You'll be expected to participate in whatever we task we assign you, specifically heavy lifting. Normally we wouldn't be bothering to use civilians like yourselves, especially since these areas are usually clearance only, but we've got a strict deadline. The next missile launch _must_ commence today."

_Not if I have anything to say about it,_ Selphie thought as she frowned slightly. But the frown went away almost as quickly, both to compose herself and also because another thought entered her head. If the soldiers were consenting to let the janitors help them with preparations, that meant they would have clearance almost everywhere. That _included _the missile controls!

Which would make their mission even easier than she'd thought.

_Go Irvine!_ An animated version of herself pumped her fist into the air in Selphie's mind, entertaining the small SeeD as she could not physically mimic her imagination's actions.

"I don't know how else I can stress that," the soldier continued oblivious to the smaller SeeD's attempts of amusing herself. "So all of you better be on your best behaviour. No one is to touch anything unless instructed to do so, and even then you will be under careful supervision. Anyone caught doing something out of line will be thrown in jail faster than you can say 'traitor'.""

"Hold it!" Betty snapped suddenly. Most of the staff jumped but the soldier barely even flinched. He whirled on her and, judging by the frown on his face, he wasn't impressed with her interruption.

"What? You got a problem with my rules?"

"No," Betty snapped back. "But I do have a problem with your eyesight and your god-damned assumptions."

"What're you talking about?"

"I'm talkin' about how you're _assumin'_ that _everyone's_ gonna be able to do what you tell 'em. I've got a scrawny new girl who can barely push a cart and you want her to do _heavy lifting?_!"

Selphie felt her stomach fly up into her throat as the sentence's meaning registered in her mind. This wasn't at all what she had planned. It was the exact opposite in fact. If she couldn't participate in the heavy lifting, then she wouldn't get the clearance she needed. Of course there was still Irvine and Quistis but she wanted, no _needed_ to be a part of the missile bases' destruction. It wasn't about taking over the show. It was about avenging the loss of her native Garden and preventing the attack on the other one.

Damn the genetics that caused her to be the height of a middle schooler. Sure, her height always got her strange looks during training and a lot of the soldiers that were present at her field exam had thought she was just a little kid playing soldier. She'd always used her height to her advantage despite the circumstances, but now it looked as though it was coming back to bite her in the butt.

_She_ knew she would be able to lift anything that was handed off to her, but that was because she was junctioned and she wouldn't dare blow her cover just to prove her point. Still, she had to think of something fast.

And then it hit her. The idea had come straight from left-field as her mind still lingered on her field exam. In fact, it had been the very instance that had caused her to meet Zell and Squall in the first place on that memorable day.

"If I can't do any heavy lifting, I can be a messenger," she proclaimed confidently.

The soldier and Betty (who seemed to have gotten into a conversation as she'd mulled over the situation) turned to her direction looking as though they'd forgotten she was even there. Selphie felt somewhat offended as she was the target of their conversation but let it slide off her shoulders. She didn't dare look back and see the looks of Irvine and Quistis' faces either but she wouldn't have been surprised if they'd been shocked at her suggestion. "I can run really fast _and_ I've got the memory of… uh…" She racked her brain for an example of something with a long memory but gave up, clueless on what to say, "of an animal that remembers a whole lot."

Betty looked somewhat bewildered at the thought, but the soldier at least seemed to be thinking about it. Selphie figured that his only problem with the notion was the fact that she'd be dealing with delicate and classified information, but she hoped he would at least think she was harmless.

"You don't have much choice," Betty said suddenly, catching the soldier's attention. "The gal's new, but she's got the body of a runner, I'll give her that. And anyhow, you don't have the manpower to spare. With the speakers bein' shot and all, you'll be wasting time running around meeting with each other."

"We would need a go-between…" The soldier said, sounding as though he were conceding. "But if anything goes wrong, it's your ass on the line too."

"Please," Betty said with a mirthless laugh. "You can't fire me. I've got the union standing behind me, and the ton of years I've worked here is the only other mattress I'll need for support. My union rep'll make a laughing stock outta you."

The soldier muttered something really uncomplimentary under his breath. Betty heard him too, because she curled her lip in response. "Alright kid. We don't have much use for you otherwise. Wherever the soldiers tell you to go, you go."

"Yessir," Selphie said, grinning toothily.

This was exactly what they needed, it gave her a chance to get close to the suckers and learn more of what was going on. It also freed her up to run in the shadows and talk to the others.

After all, no one said that she was going to just be the army's messenger did they? Who could tell if she remembered an order from somewhere to make sure the janitor's weren't in the way?

It was all too easy. Break out of a high security prison and then sneak into the hive of your enemy. Sir Laguna would've been proud of her. This was just the sort of thing he'd have done to those loser Esthar soldiers. And now, she'd do it to the equally dumb-ass Galbadians.

Wary of not giving her giddiness away she followed the soldier as commanded, keeping her ears open as he discussed readily what units were where. She cursed silently, wishing that she had somehow been able to turn on her mic. Quistis would have gobbled this info up way easier than she could. But she knew that she had to give it her best shot, otherwise the whole thing would fall apart around her.

* * *

_More changes to canon! Allow me to explain (even if you don't particularly care)._

_First up, the power failure. Now I know how this happened in the game; you run around between the maintenance crew and the missile launching crew until the maintenance crew asks you to check out the curcuit room in their stead. When you do, you mess around with the controls (either smash them or press a couple of buttons - the game lets you decide) before the lights go out. Stepping outside makes the maintenance team show up and the right response to their question will have them go inside where your party beats them to a pulp. _

_Sounds a little complicated and way too much unnecessary work? I thought too, which is why instead Irvine steals the card, and shoots the soldiers and repair guy when they go to investigate. Much quicker (though not as tidy). At least Irvine has no qualms about cleaning up after himself. _

_And of course comes the soldier's response of the power failure; gathering everyone (even non-military personnel, like the janitors) into a room and giving them assignments they wouldn't normally have. _


	16. Chapter XIV: Enemy Within

**Edited: **_06/24/10_

* * *

**Chapter XIV:  
Enemy Within**

* * *

The loss of power that fuelled the building had been a godsend. Despite having volunteered for this mission, she had been unsure of how they were going to stop the missiles without knowing what to expect. The timeline update was a good start but unfortunately no one was anywhere close to the controls in order to stop the launch and it seemed hopeless to do so, particularly when they realized they didn't have enough time. But cutting the power gave them an extension and opportunity to ensure their mission's success and no one could afford to squander it.

The group she had been assigned to left the meeting room almost straight away, with no time at all to explain where she was going. It was barely fifteen minutes later when she found herself standing amidst the rest of the staff with Galbadian soldiers in front of a set of double doors leading into the Missile Loading Bay. Her breath caught at the sight and she willed herself to remain calm, lest she give away her intentions.

They were given fairly straight forward instructions once they entered the room itself. The missiles needed to be loaded into their silos and respective crates manually due to the power failure and they would need the additional manpower to ensure that this happened in a timely fashion. It appeared the Galbadians weren't allowing the lack of electricity to stop them from targeting the Garden, they were that determined.

When she'd initially arrived, she hadn't had a clue what _one _person could possibly do to stop it.

The room itself was rather wide and very tall, several meters from the look of it since she could barely make out the ceiling. The space between the entrance to the farthest end of the room reminded Quistis of a runway at an airport while the yellow and black striped bars relayed a message of caution to the personnel working within. Said bars were spaced far enough that three able-bodied soldiers could stand comfortably amongst each other side by side. Further beyond the bars were the metallic slots that she knew were designed to assist in manoeuvring the missile silos into their allotted positions, though they were little more than heavy ornaments without the necessary electricity to power them.

Their assignment was to retrieve a viable replacement for the common day electricity they would normally use to transfer the silos into position. It had been intriguing to learn that the site of the Missile Base had been chosen because it was originally a coal mine. This had been a calculated measure that had been decided upon in order to substitute energy with coal in the event of a power failure.

It had been a simple matter to secure her poker face and to keep from scowling when she'd learned of this. While obtaining the necessary amount of coal would take time, it wasn't nearly as long as they had originally surmised. Despite this though, she did take solace in the knowledge that, while the Galbadian soldier in the red uniform had insisted so forcefully, there was no way they would meet the deadline he had set. The missiles would be delayed a day at the very least. It would give Squall and the others enough time to reach the Garden and to take the necessary steps to evacuate the Garden.

But, as always, there was a downside. Once the preparations were completed, there would be no stopping the Galbadians, not without compromising their operation and sacrificing their identities in the process.

Because how much they had to do, Quistis didn't have time or opportunity to report this to the others, at least not upon learning of the situation. She'd done just that once they had broken away from the soldiers, though it had been done through intermittent snatches throughout the next (very long) hours as she, the other janitors who formed her team and the soldiers they were assisting had worked in the mine to collect the coal. Pick-axes and shovels were all that they had been issued to do the task and despite the allotment of breaks they had taken to rest and recoup it had been very tiring and difficult work, even with junctions.

Her muscles burned and ached from the strain of swinging the pickaxe and knocking loose chunks of rock and coal. Her uniform was soiled with flex of dust from the aforementioned elements and during her moments of rest she had done her best to ring the soot out of her hair and wipe her face and next to remove the marks that marred her skin. It only made things worse, forming streaks all over her clothes and skin. Eventually, she gave it up, though it didn't stop her from fixing her hair almost subconsciously. By the time they had gathered enough of the required stock, everyone was covered head to toe with soot and dust.

In comparison though, Selphie didn't have nearly as difficult a time, or so she heard. Whatever important intelligence the younger girl had received, it had been filtered through the microphone she wore on the lapel of her uniform and into the earpiece the former instructor wore. One such piece of information that alarmed her was the idea of the soldiers having reports they had to file regularly with the government at hourly intervals. Their failure to do so, especially on this day of days, was sure to be noticed. Quistis didn't doubt that the capital was aware of the situation and were in the process of sending their people over in order to investigate.

But the most interesting bit of information had been the discovery of hand-held computer devices provided to selected personnel. It was these machines that would manipulate the controls remotely, or so Selphie guessed. It had amazed the former instructor that such a thing would work within a building with no power source to fuel it, but again that was where batteries came into play, or even the auxiliary power afforded them the luxury.

The coal had been dumped into one side of the room, and Quistis was quick to notice that during their absence two new pieces of equipment and been rolled inside. Positioned on the opposite side of the room from the stranded silo was a large gas cannon, roughly the width of the hood of a car and in the shape of a barrel with criss-crossing sections. Quistis assumed they were to make sure there would be enough pressure for the gas.

A few feet away and beside the coal that had been deposited was a large crane that was attached to a colossal box. Said box was big enough to fit one person who would, no doubt, be responsible for operating the machinery. The crane itself was attached to a digger scoop that would reach down and grab a hold of a large quantity of items – mostly dirt or debris – in order to transport it to another location. Here, it looked like they would use the machine to transfer the coal they had gathered from one side of the room to the other.

"Hurry up," one of the soldiers barked as the soldiers gathered around to inspect the machinery. "Half of you to the digger. The other half to the gas engine. Get to it!"

It didn't take long for them to figure out what their next task would be. Already there were soldiers working on setting up the gas engine and others who were prepping the digger over the canister of coal. When the clamp-like scoop dipped below the very top of the canister and the re-emerged with some coal and then dumped the coal into the gas cannon.

The sight of the gas cannon in particular was enough to give Quistis pause, who had wondered exactly how the soldiers planned to utilize their alternate power source. She was forced to grudgingly admit that the plan was brilliant, almost fail proof. In the past, a gas cannon could be operated by utilizing a heat source to evaporate the water that was collected inside of it. Then, through the criss-crossing sections of the machine, the gas would blow out enough steam that would, with enough pressure, force the desired object into place.

The soldiers had at least realized when coming up with this alternate method of powering the base that no matter the number of people they had on hand they would never be able to move the missile silo on their own. Even a full squadron of SeeDs fully junctioned to the teeth would find the task difficult, nearly impossible even.

As much as she hated to admit it, the Galbadians had most definitely thought these things through. The longer she faced these soldiers, even taking into her account her previous exchanges and skirmishes against them, it was becoming increasingly clear why the war with Esthar had gone on for as long as it had. Where they had lacked the advanced technological practices of their enemies, they found own means to stand up to them with unique ideas and strategy. Fortunately for SeeD, they hadn't changed these practical methods since those days.

Some of the janitors were already divvying up shovels and, once the coal from the containers were released, they started digging and adding to the gas engine. The others were working at the gas engine, but they were more or less monitoring its status, making sure that the steam was distilled properly. Another thing the former instructor understood about the device was even the most remote of hydrogen would likely cause an explosion big enough to take out the entire base.

Quistis had thought about sabotaging the equipment altogether, but it remained in the back of her mind as a last resort. While their ultimate object _was _to destroy the Missile Base, she wanted to be sure that they all got out of there alive and in one piece.

"Hey you!"

A sharp voice shouted from nearby, startling the former instructor from her thoughts and turn her attention to the glaring soldier who was wearing the same camo gear as the rest of the men. "Quit gawkin' and get ta work!"

He didn't allow her an opportunity to respond and simply turned on his heels, stalking off to supervise. Quistis watched him as he turned his attention away from her but proceeded towards the gas cannon, all the while wondering if there was any means of sabotaging the equipment and somehow delaying the explosion long enough for the three of them to escape but immediately busied herself with her assigned task as she spotted another soldier coming her way. Keeping her eyes trained on the soldier, she spotted him removing some kind of object from his arm and setting it down on top of a table just a few feet away from her.

Another soldier, who seemed to have also been supervising, stopped in midstride so suddenly Quistis thought for a moment she'd been busted. But instead of proceeding to her direction, he stepped into the path of his now deporting comrade. His voice was reduced to a harsh whisper but with her junctioned hearing, Quistis caught every word of it. "What do you think you're doing? Put that thing back on _now_. Anyone could just come along and pick it up."

"Are you kidding me?" the other soldier balked, his voice equally lowered. "Seriously? With all this equipment around and the job they tasked me with, you expect me to put that thing back up and risk breaking it? I already broke one man, and I'm _still _paying it off. You know how much shit I'd be if I broke another one?"

Quistis kept her head down and simply waited for the conversation to reach a head, all the while sneaking covert glances at the object in question, trying to get an idea of what it was. The distance between them wasn't helping matters. Eventually the two soldiers moved along but surprisingly enough they left the expensive looking thing behind on the table.

Instantly she looked up to survey her surroundings while trying not to draw too much attention to herself and once she was assured that no one was looking her way, she quickly moved towards the table. She drew in a breath at the sight, recognizing it as one of the microcomputers Selphie had mentioned to her. The metal band attached to the base was probably the reason it had been attached to the forearm of the soldier. Tentatively, she lifted it up and found that it wasn't as heavy as she would have expected, though there was enough weight behind it to warrant delicate handling.

Taking another tentative look around, she made sure the coast was clear. She needn't have bothered, as everyone was too preoccupied keeping an eye on the billowing steam and adding coal to the gas cannon or watching the progress of the moving silo. Biting her lip, she knew she would have to act quickly to avoid being spotted and with that thought in mind she ducked beneath the table and out of sight of everyone else with the laptop in hand. Still, she hesitated, only to make certain that she wouldn't be missed. Holding her breath, she slowly counted to ten, waiting for the tell-tale signs that something was amiss. But when nothing happened she let out a silent but shaky sigh of relief. Without any further hesitation, she flipped open the top and turned the machine on.

During her tenure at Galbadia Garden, Quistis had learned how to operate devices like the microcomputer and, despite having transferred Gardens a few years after starting, had also kept all of her notes regarding the subject. She had decided that it wouldn't hurt in case she was undercover and was required to operate devices like these or similar. Fortunately for her, she had decided to study her notes prior to returning to the field and this device happened to be one of the things she'd looked over.

The machine booted up obediently, providing her with writings overtop a blue screen. The authorization screen blinked into life and just as Quistis thought she would have to guess the password, the screen rolled over and automatically provided her access to the system. She blinked in confusion but it didn't take her long to realize what had just taken place and she was forced to keep herself from chuckling. Once she'd realized what the device she held was, she had deemed the soldier an idiot, albeit a cautious one. Now, she added to her earlier observation the possibility of laziness coupled with stupidity. Regardless, he appeared to be technologically savvy as he'd managed to program the device to automatically log him into the system net whenever it was rebooted, thereby cutting through the red tape of authorization codes and the hassle of going through the proper channels.

She was thankful for it though, because it at least saved her the trouble of trying to make such guesswork herself.

Glancing over her shoulder once more and making sure the soldiers were still adequately distracted, she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and set to work. The browser welcomed her to HIMS, which was presumably the operating system of choice for the Galbadian soldiers. The blue background had not disappeared upon log in, but was currently being obscured by a sign overlapping an outline of the world map. The welcome sign flashed into existence overtop everything else before proceeding automatically to the options screen.

One look at it surprised Quistis slightly, since she had expected far more than what she was given. But since she'd never before seen the inside of a Missile Base let alone held in possession a device that seemed to keep it in operation. She supposed she might have been expecting far too much.

Looking over her four options, she mused to herself as she kept a look out for possible observers. She could either choose to look over the targeted location, inspect the equipment of the missiles, view a simulation of the attack itself or log back out. The sight brightened her spirits somewhat. Had Selphie gotten her hands on this device, the diminutive SeeD would've undoubtedly started dancing on the spot regardless of the risks of being spotted. This lazy and idiotic though admittedly talented _nimrod _had access to the Missile controls. The sole purpose of the base itself and this man had held the power in his hands, only to carelessly leave it behind in the worries that it might be destroyed.

But now _she _was the one in control. If wouldn't _matter _if the Galbadians launched the missiles in the end _if _she altered the trajectory beforehand. She could launch them into the ocean where they would detonate harmlessly and they wouldn't be the wiser until it was too late. Balamb Garden would be saved and the Galbadian's ploy would have fallen flat on its face.

After looking over her shoulder once more, she selected the target option, waiting in anticipation as the screen proceeded to boot up. The remaining three options faded into the blue background before she was presented with another four options: she could set the target, set up the error ration, upload any recently changed data to the computer installed within the missiles, or she could exit back to the previous menu. Drumming her fingers atop the space before the keys, she selected to set the target but was disappointed when a blaring 'access denied' sign flitted across her screen, blinking menacingly within a cautionary triangle.

Biting back a curse, she realized she should have known. It was far too easy to simply assume that their problems could go away with just the push of a button. It seemed the Galbadians had some brains after all, not trusting _complete _control of the missiles to this idiot. There were always options of obtaining the authorization, but hacking into the system would leave a trail. While she was good with a computer, Quistis was nowhere the accomplished technician and knew her own skills were limited in this area of expertise. This was most definitely a job for a skilled hacker like Selphie.

Grumbling lightly under her breath in her disappointment, Quistis stared at the screen in contemplation. There was little else she could do with the device, aside from maybe smashing it to bits in her frustration and leaving the poor sod who had left it unattended in the first place to reap the benefits of its discovery. But as she inspected the screen, her eyes ghosted upon the remaining options and the beginnings of a new idea formed in her mind, her sights trained on the error ratio setting.

Surely, if this idiot lacked the access to _setting _the actual target, the same could be said about the error ratio… couldn't it? Tilting her head to the side, Quistis puzzled this thought, believing it to be the only logical thought. But it would make less sense to give this device to anyone if it couldn't actually utilize the options that were afforded it.

But as she continued to debate internally, there was a loud sound that could have easily been an explosion and it caused her to jump, hitting her head against the desk and almost dropping the microcomputer as a result. Once she'd deftly caught it with both hands after having cradled her head in reflex, she took a look around the table and realized, with a sigh of relief, that it was only the digger grabbing more coal. The soldiers were still unaware of her absence and were still crowding around the sensitive equipment, providing it their sole attention.

Biting her lip nervously, Quistis also took notice of the silo drawing steadily nearer and nearer its desired position. There wasn't much time left before they were done and if she was caught with the microcomputer in hand then _she _was done.

With nothing else to lose, she chose the error ration option with much trepidation, fully expecting to see the inevitable authorization required sign that had thwarted her before. But the screen simply blinked in cooperation and took her to the desired screen, one that was filled with a shape like a jar lying on its side. A dark blue bar filled the left hand side with a single digit number and a percentage size beneath it. The opposite side was blank.

Quistis took in the sight of all this with a dropped jaw and a barely restrained gasp of surprise. She blinked in case this was simply a dream and finding the screen still staring back at her, she pressed her lips together, looked behind her once more and returned her attention to the task at hand, almost afraid that the image would flicker out of existence. Satisfied that she was not dreaming and knowing that she indeed have the desired power in the palm of her hand, Quistis quickly regarded the instructions awarded to her with a practiced eye before proceeding. According to the legend, the left hand side represented the minimum percent of error once the missiles were launched. The maximum would represent the maximum percent of error. If, as she suspected, they were using the missiles that were designed to obliterate the Garden, then the Galbadians would want as low an error ratio as possible.

In all documented wars, Majors and Captains often based their decisions off the least amount of collateral damage caused in its wake. In this case in particular, the Sorceress was declaring war on SeeD and would want to ensure their total and utter destruction. Quistis didn't think the Sorceress was someone who would attack with chemical bombs that were designed to spread radiation and infectious diseases throughout the air, ensuring a slow death. The woman was smart. She would want a more direct approach without giving them the opportunity to worm around it with some kind of cure. No, she would be more inclined to watch SeeD burn and be done with it.

Knowing this, Quistis set herself up to put a wrench in Galbadia's War plan. If they wanted to win, they would have to grit and sweat against their energy instead of the easy pass the Sorceress was offering. She might not be able to stop the launch or divert the assault elsewhere, but she _could _set the missiles for a large probability to fail and miss their target.

It took her a couple of seconds to figure out how the controls to the microcomputer were supposed to work in this function, but when she managed it she set the error ratio as far and as high as she could manage, the slow blipping moving at such a snail's crawl that Quistis grit her teeth and thought that maybe they were finished and searching for her at this moment. The sounds behind her proved this thought to be false and she forced herself to calm down against the anxiety that surged through her. It stopped its movement when the number below read at 75% and Quistis realized after a few seconds of no further progress beyond that, she backed out of the screen.

So far, so good. Throwing a look behind her, she realized the soldiers were just about finished, the silo almost in position as the soldiers and janitors began to surround it, more than likely attempting to guide it into its slot in the ground. Unfortunately, she wasn't done just yet. Setting up the error ratio was all well and good, but it wouldn't do if she backed out of the screen and the changes weren't saved. The updated data would have to be uploaded to the silos themselves in order for it to stick. Searching the computer screen for barely a second, she found the appropriate label and proceeded to the next screen. In basic and standard computer-fashion, the machine asked for confirmation to upload the changes she had made. Quistis accepted them and watched as the screen shifted to online mode, beginning the progress of uploading the data.

As she waited, she threw covert looks over her shoulder at the soldiers, more than grateful for her junctioning since she couldn't risk being identified by wearing her glasses. Normally, her eyesight was outrageously horrendous to the point where she was unable to wear contact lenses. The powers of the guardian forces lent strength to her senses and she was able to see anything and everything as though she were wearing her silver rimmed spectacles.

When the upload alerted her that it had been completed, Quistis scrambled into action as she backpedalled out of the system. Once she was backed out all the way, she shut down the microcomputer – feeling forever as though it took longer to shut down than to boot up – and returned it to its place on the table. After that she stepped forward as calmly as she could, positioning herself around the gas cannon to observe the steam. Seconds later, the silo was dropped into position, the metal contraption hitting the floor with an ear-splitting scream that caused everyone to feebly protect their eardrums.

Watching anxiously, she spotted the owner of the microcomputer approach the table. She watched from the corner of her eye as he spotted the device before grabbing it and strapping it back atop the metal plating along his forearm. He walked off without a look in her general direction and without pause. Once he was out of sight, Quistis allowed a light breath of relief to overtake her, knowing that he didn't suspect a thing. Nor would he until it was too late.

She just hoped it would be enough in the end. Enough to save both friends and family alike.

* * *

Sergeant Stephen Perry was just about finished suiting up. Decked out in his jumpsuit and armour, all he needed to do was pull on the metallic helmet that symbolised the Galbadian military. His boots were tight yet comfortable and they tapped lightly with each movement he made, despite knowing he was the only one present in the confining area that was the change room.

The rest of his people were waiting on him, this much he knew. They'd had more than enough time to prepare for their departure. This did not stop him from taking in the sight of his watch, his mind absorbing the time almost subconsciously. They had no time to idle and yet he was, thinking, contemplating.

Today was a significant day. Those days were becoming more frequent, starting months before the late President's death and proceeding even further beyond them. It no longer surprised him when he received the order to proceed with haste, though to be said he was used to them during his years of service in the past. But this was different from the past, because now they finally had the means and the opportunity to take out the mercenary group who had constantly stood in the way of the Galbadians for years now.

For the last week now they had been making preparations for this operation. For the last few days they had been ready, simply waiting for the order to commence the launch and end their long-time enemy once and for all. But due to circumstances out of their control at the time, the plans had been delayed. It had only been when the news of Caraway's dismissal had been made public that they had realized they had been duped. The stupid, petty man had been stalling for time.

It provided proof of his treachery. Not only had he hired SeeD to do away with Galbadia's new leader, but he was trying to protect them too. But they wouldn't have to worry about him now, because a warrant had just been issued for his arrest. It was the equivalent to a breath of fresh air to the Sorceress' inner circle.

Forcing his thoughts away from the unpleasant notion that the leader of their military had betrayed them for the enemy, Sergeant Perry turned his attention to the objective at hand. Simmons and Donohue had been assigned to deal with the former General, so as far as he was concerned the matter was no longer any of his concern. He had been charged with another task, and that would be his main focus.

In order to be rid of SeeD forever, they would have to attack the Gardens. A frontal attack would be suicide and they would lose more men and women in the struggle than what it was worth. No matter how loathe they were to admit this, SeeD was a formidable force and especially with them utilizing Guardian Forces like personal pets, they would be able to fortify themselves within their base of operation and last out the war. It would be a toss-up over who would win. The Sorceress didn't deal in 'toss-ups'. She dealt with absolution.

It was why the Missile Base was the essential component for SeeD's defeat and extinction. The long ranged missiles had homing signals installed within and could be programmed to lock onto a target with only the smallest and most insignificant chance of failure. If they couldn't gather information from the prisoners they had captured and left to rot in the Desert District Prison (which was looking to be more and more the case, as no further information had been presented since their incarceration), then they would simply set the coordinates and blow the fucking Gardens to shit.

According to what they did know, there were three Gardens scattered across the globe. One in Balamb, one in Trabia and one in Galbadia. Due to the contracts the previous government had established with the former Garden Master Joseph Martine, Galbadia Garden had already been in their data banks. Because of her plans for the Garden, it would be the spared the wrath of the missiles. Besides, how would it look to the rest of the country to know that missiles were launched within their own country? They had laws against this kind of activity and it would have looked like an attack on their own President. Hyne knew no one wanted to fuck with a Sorceress, and so it was more or less fear that fuelled their inaction towards the third and final Garden.

All of the information they possessed had been obtained rather easily in fact. Far easier than any soldier would have expected it to be. For years they had tried to obtain this intelligence and for years they had been thwarted, the secrets of SeeD being well guarded like the prison to the south. All it had taken was one person, a defect of the Garden itself and they had received more than they could've ever asked for. It was thanks to Sir Seifer Almasy, the Sorceress' Knight, that the launch was even taking place to begin with. Had he not provided them with the information they'd needed to know, for example the location of _both _targeted Gardens, they never would've known where to strike.

When the late President had brought on the Sorceress as his ambassador, it had been rumoured he had only done so to gain that very valuable piece of knowledge. Apparently, she knew more about the Gardens than anyone in the Galbadian establishment could have ever hoped to. But it seemed now, after President Deling's untimely death, that she had no more information concerning SeeD or the Gardens' location than they did. She knew the general area, but had lacked the exact coordinates.

Upon joining forces with the Galbadians and swearing his allegiance to the Sorceress, Sir Seifer had supplied this information almost as though he'd wanted to get it off his chest and wash his hands of it. The cadet-turned knight had trained all his life at the Garden in Balamb, and Sergeant Perry couldn't even begin to fathom how he had known of Trabia Garden's whereabouts, but he wasn't complaining at all or asking any questions. Just the knowledge that the youth was turning on his home so quickly was enough reason to not trust him. Almasy could easily turn on them if the need arose.

Because of how important the Missile Base's role in the Garden's destruction was, it was imperative that the personnel stationed there performed their hourly reports to the government on their progress almost religiously. This in turn would prompt movement from the military depending on the circumstances. Unfortunately, it had been close to an hour and a half since they had first discovered something was wrong. The officials knew the Base Commander (and his record) well enough to know that the man was a stickler for routine and procedure.

Which meant that the lack of contact could only mean one thing. The Missile Base had gone dark.

It had taken the better part of the day for the government to track down the necessary personnel to investigate the current events. With the former General's arrest being classed as their top priority, it had proved to be a difficult task in pulling officers off their regular duties in order to form a task squad that would investigate the missile base. Finally, after a painstakingly long fourteen hours, they were just about ready to leave.

Garden couldn't _possibly _have learned they were being targeted. The Sorceress had spoken to someone who had claimed to have a position of power in SeeD, and they'd brokered an agreement in exchange for the prisoners. Despite the Garden's promises that they had not been involved in the attempted assassination, the Sorceress had already deemed them to be a potential threat. She was doing away with them before they could prove her right, all the while maintaining the pretence of cooperation and good will.

So that only left the prisoners as the viable source. They were of little concern though, especially when taking into account their new permanent living arrangements. They wouldn't be able to get word to Garden either.

But then that left no explanation for the reason the Missile Base was unresponsive. There was no one to blame for the sudden issues they were dealing with, unless Caraway had managed to get a bunch of radicals to somehow infiltrate the base while pretending to still be in charge. That seemed to be the most likely case, as reports indicated a youth dressed like a modern-day cowboy leaving the mansion during the day, less than twenty-four hours ago. The sergeant suspected that he could've been involved.

Regardless of the cause, he had his operation to attend to. There was no use concerning himself with what if's surrounding who was responsible. He had no time to dwell on it. He would just have to find out when he got there.

So with one last fleeting look, he left the locker room where his gear and civilian clothing were being stashed. He walked down the hallway with a stride filled with purpose. His men would be waiting for him by the garage where they would make the hour long drive to the base and investigate the problem there.

* * *

First Sergeant Maurice Williamsen arrived at the briefing room after receiving the message for a meeting. Twenty minutes had passed since then and he knew the Base Commander was going to be furious. Not that he wasn't already pissed off of course. The sudden power outage had set them back several hours, and the security systems were down as a result, which meant they had no means of figuring out who was responsible for it. Once they had started to investigate the situation, it had been noted that three people had already gone missing. One of them was a member of the maintenance team who had been sent to make his routine check of the electrical equipment.

Sergeant Williamsen knew this was already a bad day and that it was going to keep getting worse until it got better. He didn't want to give the Base Commander any more reason to become even angrier.

Inserting his keycard into the slot next to the door, he was greeted by three steady beeps, all earsplittingly loud. Then the door slid open, permitting him entrance and he stepped across the threshold. Seconds later, the door slid shut behind him.

The briefing room was a rather long space with a table positioned directly in the middle. There were monitors that covered the walls that surrounded them. Normally, they were filled with surveillance that covered the entire length and width of the base grounds, only now they were blank, merely reflecting the image of the three men who were currently filling this room. It was eerie and increasingly distracted.

The only two other people in the room were already seated at the table. One was dressed in the same blue military uniform that he currently sported. He offered Second-Sergeant Christopher Addams a brief nod of acknowledgement, Addams was a newly inducted officer to the base, having been stationed there for his expertise in data gathering. He was young, and hadn't had too much experience in the field, but he knew how to work a computer and especially in a place like this it was a commodity they could not afford to spit on.

The other man was wearing a red jumpsuit, the signal of a superior officer that he did not tire of sporting. Campbell Graham had been stationed as the Base Commander for nearly as long as the base itself had been operational. He was still relatively able bodied and could've probably beat the crap out of half the soldiers populating the base if he wanted to. The lines along the bottom half of his face betrayed his age, and was seemingly permanently etched into the shape of a frown.

To his superior, Williamsen offered a salute, his features remaining neutral. What he thought of his superior officer wouldn't have fit in an empty matchstick box.

For his part, Commander Graham fixed the First-Sergeant with a glare that told him he should've been there the moment he'd called him to this meeting. Williamsen continued to keep his expression neutral, a trait that had saved him in the long run against the other employers he had worked under who had also possessed a superiority complex. As he stood under the withering glare, he mentally conveyed to the Commander that even if he could run at a speed that would make a professional runner awe-inspired, getting from one side of the Missile Base was going to take at least twenty minutes, barring the interference of the soldiers and custodial staff running around the place. And that was only if he had run the entire distance.

When Williamsen took his seat, Graham jumped right into the matter at hand. "Despite the delay the power outage has afforded us, things appear to be moving progressively well. If we have it our way, the Missiles will launch at their designated target within the next hour. Consider this a small victory, men. We got word from the loading bay twenty minutes ago on their progress. The missiles are all set to launch."

"So then why the delay?" Williamsen asked pointedly, knowing all the while that Graham had to make a performance at getting to his point.

"Sergeant Addams here," he indicated the younger officer to his left, "also reported to me roughly around the same time."

When it was apparent Graham was deferring the explanation to him, Addams awkwardly rose to his feet, the chair he had been sitting on skidding back loudly and distractively, causing him to start before he stood at attention.

Graham appeared almost amused at the other man's discomfort, and Williamsen frowned in disgust before gesturing that Addams could sit while giving his report. Addams started before following his colleague's directive. He sat down quieter than he had risen and the chair was pulled back under the table with the awkward air of a nervous public speaker. "As you both are well aware, while surveillance coverage, the automated docking chambers and power generators were all affected by the power failure, the systems figurations remain operational. It's the only reason we are able to proceed with the launch as we have."

"I coulda told you that," Graham snapped irritably. Addams winced in response. "It was on _my _order."

"Uh," Addams stammered slightly, caught unawares by the sudden interruption. Flustered, he attempted to reclaim his centre of calm to continue his briefing but his concentration was shot. The damage had been done. "Right… Sorry, my mistake sir." He cleared his throat audibly, awkwardly before forcing himself to continue. "Well, before the Commander received an update on the loaded silos, I noticed some activity coming from one of the microcomputers we have issued to several personnel throughout the base. According to the readouts, someone was fiddling with the error ratio on the missile's AI specs. The appropriate clearance is required for access to these computers let alone the actual error ratio settings, so not just anyone can use them."

"So have we narrowed it down to a potential suspect?" Williamsen asked. Graham simply sat back and watched the proceedings with an uninterested air. "Or is it possible that someone got their hands on the device while it was in operation?"

"We're already looking into the owner of the device," Addams responded. It seemed like he'd gotten his focus back. He sounded less nervous, particularly in a field he was an expert on. "As for anyone just picking it up, it is possible but at this time we're uncertain. Regardless of who it was, we can't change the fact that someone has managed to access the system itself." He held out two folders – probably containing the information on the breech – and both Commander and Williamsen took their respective copies.

Williamsen took in the details staring him in the face and his frown deepened. Addams' was absolutely right. Whoever had tampered with the controls had known exactly what they were looking for. They either had an extensive background in computers much like Addams did, or they were already familiar enough with the controls to know what to do and how to get to the channels they needed to. Williamsen continued to read further and noted something of importance. "According to these reports, prior to the tampering of the error ration, there was an attempt to enter the targeting menu itself."

"That's right," Addams confirmed. The Commander hadn't bothered to look up and was still reading the report. "Judging by the passing of time, it was very unlikely that a second person was utilizing the equipment. It's too quick to have been passed around for someone else to try something. It's under my belief that whoever tampered with the error ratio originally attempted to divert the missiles. We were just lucky that this particular microcomputer lacked the authorization to allow the intruder into the system."

"Is it possible that we could have an intruder?" The Commander asked, still not looking up.

Williamsen answered before Addams could. "If we do, then they've more than likely been deep undercover for a while. Everyone inside this building right now passed the security inspection at the front gate. And even if they got by the guard at the security tower, it'd be impossible for them to slip through without any clearance cards. A fake could last a while if it was especially well made, but not nearly long enough for a deep cover operative to maintain a cover identity. But if the card was real, it would only be a matter of blending into their surroundings."

"And if their objective was to stop the missiles," Addams said, catching on quickly, "then it's likely they're from the Garden in the first place."

Williamsen nodded thoughtfully, though on the inside he felt the panic coiling his stomach. He hadn't once thought of the possibility that SeeD could be involved. If Addams was right in his thoughts, then they weren't just dealing with an intruder. They were dealing with a professional. "There were reports that a SeeD team was arrested during the parade in the Capital a week ago. Suppose, in the unlikely event, they got out and learned about the missile launches."

"It gets worse from there," Addams said heavily and Williamsen gave the younger soldier his undivided attention. Graham wasn't near as polite. "As soon as the power went out, I sent the remaining members of the maintenance team to investigate. The specifics of their discover are hush-hush, and they were to report back only to me regarding their findings."

"So what did they find?" Williamsen pressed.

"They found the missing people," Addams responded after a beat. "Two soldiers and the lone member of the maintenance team. All three of them were stuffed in a closet inside the circuit room, but the team estimates that they were already dead by the time they arrived. Probably even before they were crammed in the closet. Cause of death has been determined to have been from gunshots to the head and chest, though we'd need an official autopsy to confirm."

"What kind of gun?"

Addams shrugged. "Nothing I've ever seen before, though it kind of reminded me like some form of canister spray. You know, like a shotgun. It could have been a custom make, in fact I'm sure it was. It backs up our claim that we're dealing with a professional. SeeD would be more than capable to fit the bill with a custom fitted gun, particularly one of the more expensive kinds. Considering I've never seen the cut of the blast before, it's more than likely it's a one of a kind weapon. No one else has it. But the same blasts were discovered along the control boards and is suspected to have been the cause of the loss of power. While this person is extremely skilled at blending into his surroundings, he's not very good with machines, otherwise he would have just shut them off. As for the soldiers, well, wrong place, wrong time I'm guessing."

"A custom made shotgun," the Commander said with a tone of disgust. Williamsen looked over and found that, for the first time since he'd received his copy of the report, the elder man had looked up to regard his peers. "This confirms it. We've got SeeDs in the base."

"How?" Williamsen asked.

"There was a report sent to us shortly before the black out," Graham answered. "Once the disappearances of the three soldiers were confirmed and we'd managed to get back on track I took a gander at it. The SeeD team incarcerated in Desert District escaped nearly a day ago."

Williamsen made an exclamation. Addams wanted to know how. Graham silenced them both with a shrug. "Damned if I know how. But shortly after the time of the escape, things start turning south up here. It's not a coincidence. I don't believe in 'em."

"Why wasn't this brought to us?"

"Because _before_ this report I didn't have the proof to back up my claims," Graham said, raising the report in his hand as he spoke. "It's not too far a drive to reach us here. They woulda had plenty of time."

"If it's SeeD then they've probably come back to save their Garden," Addams surmised. Graham snorted in derision.

"How? You suppose we've got a security leak as well? How would they have known to come here, that we were targeting their Gardens in the first place? I could see them stumbling onto the knowledge once they got here, hell everyone's been talkin' about it nonstop since we finally got the order to deploy. But I know the men and women who work in that prison. They're not stupid, they wouldn't let something like that slip to prisoners, especially not ones who had the means to do something about it."

"Either way, they know about it now," Williamsen said. "I suggest we put out the alert to the soldiers, give them the description of the people who escaped."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Graham nodded. "Get right on that. They are looking for youths in their late teens of varying description. Six people total, three men, three women. I'll give you a copy of the report. Despite how organized they were at getting inside here without notice, their escape was slopping. We're dealing with amateurs, well-educated and intelligent but amateurs nonetheless. It'll only be a matter of time before we get 'em squealin'. Now hop to it!"

* * *

_More changes! (That's if anyone cares enough to read this part before reviewing.)_

_Well, as you've probably noticed by now, everyone has so far had a role to play in sabotaging the Missile Base and stalling for time. Furthermore, they did it after I'd split them up. I always thought it was rather convenient that, in the game, the three soldiers the Missile Base team were impersonating got to wander around the base without anyone being the wiser. Of course this was so you could do what you needed to but all the same, it was annoying from a writers point. _

_Another point that I thought was ridiculous was the fact that five people could move **one crate** filled with silos, filled with missiles into their appropriate spot. As Quistis pointed out for the readers earlier in this chapter, that is impossible, even if they were all junctioned with GF's. No one is that strong. To further prove my point, let's take a brief detour and take in the crate and its contents. First and foremost, the crate would be metal. Judging by the size and the appearance, one could assume that said crate walls are fairly thick, thus adding to the weight. Next, there are at least four silos in each crate and each silo has at least four missiles. That itself would make the damned thing weigh a ton. _

_Unfortunately, I cannot stake claim to the idea of using the gas cannon or the idea of the Missile Base having been built into a mine. Those ideas were curtesy of my editor, Peter J. Marcroft. Without him, I would have continued to struggle with this chapter (in particular) and wouldn't have been able to post anything at this point in time, so thank you Peter. As for the continuity of Quistis wearing contacts to not wearing contacts, Irvine simply assumed that she was. _

_Moving along, the scene with the officer preparing to investigate the Missile Base was, obviously, my creation. I did it because of how important it was to the Sorceress to launch those missiles and attack the Gardens. It would make sense she would want scheduled reports on the progress at their end, and once the Missile Base lost power, it would have drawn up red flags eventually. Also, it appears that our friend Caraway might be in some trouble himself._

_Finally, the meeting between the heads of the Missile Base also did not take place in the game, and I think it should have, specifically since someone should have been suspicious of the sudden misfortune their base was suffering from. There's a scene in the game where the Commander calls them out as imposters because of a salute. I can understand that being **one** of the reasons why they were outed, but definitely not the sole reason. If anything they could have been newly inaugurated into the military and, suffering from nerves, they could have slipped up (okay, so I'm reaching, but you get the idea). Also, they couldn't be stupid enough to **not** notice the adjusting of the error ratio, as it again would have set off red flags._


	17. Chapter XV: Fracture in the Equation

**Eduted: **_06/24/10_

* * *

**Chapter XV:  
Fracture in the Equation**

* * *

The moonlight filtered through the glass, illuminating the halls with an eerie blue and forcing shadows to dance off into their corners, hidden behind the opaque walls that bordered the windows they sustained. The soft _thunk _of booted feet disturbed the otherwise silence that filled the air like a must, but the sole being who proceeded down the halls paid it no mind, ignoring it in favour of his destination.

It was very late, barely past midnight and yet he did not complain, he did not question. He simply strode forward like a man with purpose, a man striving towards something just out of reach and yet full of focus. He did so without hesitation, without stopping to think that this course of action might lead to something terrible, something wrong. The light basked over his clothes, glinting off the soft grey trench coat that fluttered obediently behind him with every advancing step, nearly blinding him in its intensity and still he proceeded. The light glinted off a floor that was dark marble, mirroring the ceiling and almost melding into the walls of darkened shades and hues. It was a portrayal of something gothic, eerie, creepy maybe. It unsettled the stomach to know who dwelled further beyond the halls but still he continued, his booted feet not once missing a step.

He had been summoned by her at this ungodly hour. Had it been anyone else he would have made them eat their own hands or something equally unpleasant. But he wouldn't harm her, wouldn't do anything to cause any inconvenience towards his Sorceress. He had simply followed, obeyed without question. He had known upon learning of the summons that he could not and would not ignore his orders, not when times were this important. Without even considering what she could possibly what of him at this hour of the night, he gently pushed against the wooden oak, throwing the doors out of his path as he stood in the threshold.

A week ago, this room had been in shambles, a broken thing filled with shattered glass, ripped fabrics and torn chunks of plaster and wood. Now, it was beautiful once more, the drapings drawn back into their place, the floors polished so smooth they sparkled and shined in the dim light, the chandelier fixed back into its place, illuminating the one spot in the room while the rest remained as dark and eerie as the rest of the residence. Within the curtains sat a figure, shrouded behind the near transparent wrappings, her features all but completely obscured.

The second he stepped across the threshold however, he felt a chill in his bones that had nothing to do with the cold. It felt like a premonition of things to come and his instincts honed in on the core of his very being, warning him to turn away now, to run as fast and as far as he could and to never look back. That if he didn't heed these warnings, something terrible might ensue this night, something would happen to _him_.

But his falter barely lasted the time to blink and he was pressing further on, determined not to keep the woman before him waiting. Four strides from his long legs was what it took before he was standing at the centre of the room and seconds later he was kneeling before her, his head bowed in obedience as he showed his neck to her, waiting until she bid him her leave before rising again.

His trench coat stretched the floor around him much like that of an evening gown would a woman who was curtseying her better. The ends were frayed and in tatters, the signs of the battles he had participated in since this whole adventure had begun. To Seifer Almasy, the destruction of his jacket was a trophy, not a catastrophe. Like any battle scar he had received in past combat, he wore it with pride, like a badge earned in fights past.

He had never once before believed that he of all people who willingly bow down to another person, no matter how powerful. And yet here he was, but he felt satisfaction in the act, knowing that it was simply a small price to pay to the prizes he had reaped in return. She awarded him with the power and recognition he had craved all his life, the very thing he had lacked throughout his time as a lowly cadet in a Garden filled to the brim with pathetic mongrels. All she required of him in return was his loyalty and his dedication to his cause.

And he would give it willingly. His pride could be damned, it was an excellent trade.

"My knight," Sorceress Edea crooned, the words running over him like a velvet caress. Seifer felt some of the tension from the day ease from his shoulders and for the first time in a few days he relaxed. He couldn't relax completely however, because no matter how much he tried to, there was still something prickling in the back of his consciousness, and he wasn't thinking about Belias at all when he had come to this conclusion.

"You called for me," he asked simply as he kept his head bowed forward.

"When you were last at the prison in the desert," the Sorceress started softly, her words like velvet silk. So gentle, so soft. "What do you recall of the situation?"

Seifer frowned deeply, the view obscured by the crown of his head as he lost himself to his thoughts. Upon returning to the Capital he had immediately reported his findings to the Sorceress. The SeeDs from the parade were incarcerated within the prison fortress that was the D-District deep in the Dingo desert. Guards were interrogated the Squad leader in charge of the attack for any information regarding SeeD and their motives. He admitted (though never to his face) that Squall was strong and tight lipped, but he was still a greenling in a field of pit bulls. He'd get eaten alive, it was just a matter of time. As for the remainder of the team – the hack instructor and her useless sidekicks – they were still pressed under lock and key within their prison, left to rot for the end of their days. No access to weapons. No access to Guardian Forces. No access to magic, especially not while the anti-magic field was still in operation.

As for Rinoa, well, she was royally screwed of the SeeD misfits couldn't get out. And that was most _definitely_ not saying something.

Still, he could not and would not leave the Sorceress to wait for an answer, regardless that it was regurgitated facts (his least favourite kind). Swallowing lightly, he cleared his throat before speaking. "The prisoners were locked up in their cells. The leader was taken to interrogation. Last I saw, he was still there. He hadn't broken when I received confirmation that the Missile Base was ready to progress with the operation, but he's green, inexperienced. The soldiers and guards probably had him singing a few minutes after I left."

He bit back the laugh, not wanting to appear like he was taking light of the situation but became concerned when the Sorceress did not say anything immediately. For the first time since returning to the Capital, he wondered if something had gone wrong. He shook himself of this, knowing that no one had gotten out in the twenty years the prison had existed. There was no way they could have escaped.

"Rise."

Seifer obeyed the man eagerly, almost leaping up onto both feet and standing at his full height of 6'2". He took in the Sorceress' appearance before him, noting how the throne befitted her elegance. Her dark hair had been pulled back and impossibly white skin stood in stark contrast to the elegant deep purple dress she donned. Yellow eyes stared at him impassively, almost like she was looking deep into his soul and it made him shiver subconsciously. He was uncomfortable under the gaze, like it was scratching at something, searching for it and he resisted the urge to fold his arms, a sign of weakness. Instead he endured, not matter how he itched to rid himself of the stare.

She regarded him for a moment through a face that could've been carved from porcelain. When that moment had passed, she rose to stand as well. Though her height wasn't nearly as impressive, it was by far more imposing as she continued to stare at him, a finely trimmed eyebrow arched. "Come with me."

He followed her without question to the furthest end of the room, noting that there were three monitors lining the walls to his left. They were probably for contacting her should anything need to be addressed. In his mind, they were useless as all her news and reports came from him for the most part. Right now though, all they were showing were the surveillance that was captured off the video cameras.

The Sorceress reached the equipment first and deftly pressed a button to the side. As a result, one of the screens went blank before blinking alive with whatever footage had been set up and the sense of apprehension increased, leaving his mouth suddenly very dry. He would've killed for a drink of water right now, but he didn't dare ask for one.

"Look at this video and tell me what it is you see," the Sorceress said. Her words were spoken as softly as ever and yet there was a harshness that stung far worse than a slap in the face.

Seifer obeyed the order and turned his full attention to the screen as it began to play the recording. For a second he was puzzled, wondering why he was viewing footage of one of the floors in the prison. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it, nothing at all. But further away from the screen he caught sight of a blur of colour crossing from the furthest right towards the closest left.

He couldn't tell what it was but then whatever it was stopped and at the sight his stomach rose up into his throat and the apprehension gripped him full force. This time he was unable to push it away and the panic bubbled forth as he watched a soldier hit the Chickenwuss over the head with his baton and corner him beside the railing. Seifer was floored that of everyone, the little shit had been the one to get out of his cell. How he'd managed that was beyond him.

But he most definitely blamed the shit soldiers in the area. How did they manage to fuck up such a simple operation?

Regardless of what Seifer thought should have happened, the soldier had the Chickenwuss right in his sights and was ready to blow him away with the pull of the trigger. But then something drew his attention from behind and he whirled around in time to be cleaved through the front by a weapon. A blast shot out through the blade and the guard was hitting the ground like a debauched ragdoll.

His sights were trained on the weapon and his stomach seemingly dropped out from under him as the owner appeared in the shot. He almost cursed but managed to restrain himself under the scrutiny of the Sorceress, her eyes trained on him as he was to the screen. His mind was racing with his thoughts though, but none of them could come up with a valid reason for what he saw. How had the Chickenwuss manage to escape, and how had Squall managed to do the same? No weapons, no magic, no junctions, it should've been impossible.

But his eyes fell to the blonde SeeD's fists and then he realized their folly. The shit was a brawler, a martial artist. He didn't _need _weapons, his fists were the only things that were required for him to fight back. He almost groaned at the thought, knowing that while SeeD members were required unarmed combat training, they were still trained to rely on their weapons like an extension of their limbs. Far be it for the Chickenwuss to finally come up with something that came in handy.

"So," the Sorceress started slowly. Her voice jarred the blonde gunblader from his thoughts. Her tone was colder than it had been a second ago and he felt as though he'd been dropped into a bucket of ice. "Would you care to change your previous answer?"

For the first time since joining the Sorceress this night, Seifer hesitated in his answer, not trusting him to speak at first. Instead, he willed himself to calm down, clenching and unclenching his fists in an exercise of restraint. "They were secured in their cell when I left," he finally burst out, unable to contain himself any longer. "And _he_," he pointed an accusing figure at where Squall was now in full view, "was chained to a _god-damned wall_! It was the _guards_ that screwed up, _not _me."

"And yet they would _not _have escaped had _you _not been in such a rush to return to my side," the Sorceress cut in harshly. Seifer snapped his mouth shut, all other protests banished from his mind. "I made you my knight because I trusted you to judge the situation _without _me needing to hold your hand wild you did so."

The silence that fell stung Seifer far more than ever before and he swallowed the lump that hard formed in his throat. He knew that he had really screwed up now and there was nothing at all he could say that would appease the Sorceress. There wasn't anything that would appease anyone else for that matter but he didn't care about them. But just as he didn't think he could take the lack of noise for much longer, the Sorceress shattered it, her eyes glowing and betraying the rage that was otherwise held at bay by her doll-like features. "Normally, I would care little about four SeeDlings and an overzealous teenager could do to hurt us. However, the situation has escalated almost out of our control."

"What do you mean?" Seifer asked hesitantly, not at all sure he wanted to know.

He was right. She turned her gaze from him and pierced the screen with such a force he was surprised the object didn't freeze over. "Our forces have lost all contact with the Missile Base."

"Since when?" Seifer breathed, his gut sinking ever still.

They missed their last scheduled report several hours ago," the Sorceress answered grimly. "A team set out for the desert to investigate little over an hour ago. Because the Gardens have no possible means to know what is coming to them, I believe it was safe to say that the SeeDs who escaped the prison are at fault."

She turned her gaze to him once more, her eyes as cold as her fury. He paled all the more under her gaze and at the implication, and dread filled him to the core as he recalled the last words he had spoken to his rival. In his moment of glory and triumphed, convinced that there would be no escape for the younger teenager, he had gloated to Squall about the Missile Base and the plans they had for the Gardens. He had used it as a tactic to scare the shit out of him, a means to distil a sense of failure and hopelessness that he had felt after the last Field Exam.

What had happened had been the total opposite. Where he had expected Squall to wallow in self-pity, the SeeD had surprised him and escaped the prison. More importantly, he'd gone and blabbed to the rest of his sordid team to boot.

He could try to assure the Sorceress, to tell her that the ragtag team Squall had put together wouldn't be much of a concern to the forces of the Galbadians stationed at the base, but the words died before reaching the top of his throat. If they had managed to escape a prison that was supposed to be inescapable, he could only imagine the kinds of trouble they were causing the units. The sudden loss of contact with the Missile Base was proof of that.

"And I must wonder just how _they _could possibly have learned of this information," the Sorceress crooned knowingly, "as there were strict directions to keep tight lipped about it."

Seifer swallowed uncomfortably as she fixed him with a look that mirrored her tone. He knew he couldn't hide anything from her, to her he was nothing more than an open book for her to leaf through at a moment's whim. Lying to her would be a waste of time and breath, and would no doubt result in a far greater punishment than he was already sure to receive.

As though she had read his mind, her lip curled and revealed pearly white teeth. "Your arrogance has failed me, my knight. Revealing to the SeeD our plans was a grave misstep on your part, and the Missile Base has been compromised because of your frivolous rivalry with that _boy._"

She spat the word as though it were a bad taste in her mouth, despite the volume of her voice not rising even in the slightest. "I thought we went over this." She was glowering at him now, the look twisting her otherwise impassive features into something darker and more sinister. He dared not break eye contact from her. The words sounded angry, but again the tone she spoke them in was soft, almost soothingly calm. "I thought you wished to leave your childhood behind."

"I do," Seifer assured her as he swallowed with some difficulty. "I meant what I said back in Timber."

"Then prove it to me," she sneered humourlessly. "Prove to me that you are the adult you claim to me. Prove it to me by facing your punishment with the pride and maturity of one."

"Yes," Seifer fell into a kneeling position once more, not willing to look back up at her lest she strike him down for his insolence. "Whatever you deem befitting, I will accept my punishment without complaint or hesitance."

"Good," Sorceress Edea said coolly. She manoeuvred passed him, her left hand brushing past his shoulder in an almost teasing caress. Seifer forced his eyes forward and thus did not follow her with his gaze as she moved to a different part of the room. He did not even raise his head or move out of his kneeling position, she had not bid him permission to do so.

It felt like forever had passed before she finally broke the tense silence that had fallen. "Those dreams I have gifted you with. Dreams of victory and honour befitting a great warrior such as yourself."

He could feel her turn to regard him, and what she said next made his blood run cold. "You shall have _none_. When you sleep, you will be greeted with nothing but emptiness, darkness. The time will pass as normal, and you will receive the rest you require, but nothing more than that until I permit it."

Seifer reigned in the gasp of shock as he very nearly strangled himself with his tongue. It was a struggle to compose himself, but he was reeling with devastation. Those dreams were everything to him. They were something to strive to become, instilling a sense of purpose he hadn't felt in so long. It was the very reason he had abandoned the Garden and SeeD, his very life before the Sorceress.

Despite how horrified he was at the concept of losing the one thing that mattered to him, he resisted the urge to shout out, to curse and complain. It had been his foolish arrogance that had gotten him – _them _– into this mess in the first place. His stupid need to rub Squall's face in it had caused them too high a price. To regain her trust, he would see through this punishment (no matter how painful) and prove to her that he _was _deserving. "I understand."

"I hope you do, for your sake," the Sorceress said calmly. At last, he could sense the fury dwindling from her presence. "For the next time an infraction of this ineptitude occurs, I may not be so lenient."

Seifer cringed, the words sharp and promising restitution for any further wrong doing. No one had ever made him feel this way before, feel like he was walking on eggshells with everything he said and did. He hated feeling like he had to be careful but he knew the risks were worth it.

"Leave me," she ordered, and he did so without hesitation as he scrambled over his feet out of his kneeling position. As soon as he was further down the hall and the door had closed shut, he gave into his childish infuriation. Slamming a fist into the adjacent wall, he kept his curses almost inaudible as opposed to the loud shriek he needed to let loose. He kept his voice down if only to keep from disturbing the woman in the next room. Of course the Sorceress had every right to blame him for the situation. It had been his screw up. But _he _blamed Squall and his merry band for the whole mess. How _dare _they escape the country's most inescapable prison and on _his_ watch no less. They even had the gall to think they could somehow stop the Missiles from destroying the Gardens. What a ridiculous notion. They'd already taken care of Trabia, and Balamb would be no different.

But it was the insinuation that they would even try that made his blood boil and his hands clench so tightly they threatened to cramp. When he got his hands on the group of them…

He felt something vibrate against his pant leg and he reached into his pocket, retrieving a cellular phone that had been given to him upon swearing to serve the Galbadian nation and the Sorceress. It continued its _whirring _vibration in his hand, shooting tingles to run through his fingers and he clenched the offensive device almost tight enough to break it. It irritated him that his thoughts were being intruded upon so late in the night. Had he not been summoned, he would have been roused from a sleep so deep he would have had to murder to thoughtless prick.

Taking but a second to inspect the number, he flipped the hateful contraption open before holding it up against his ear and acknowledging the speaker. Maybe if someone else had fucked up _their _operation he could take out his pent up frustrations on them.

"Sir Seifer," the predictable response came from the opposite end. No matter how often someone called him by the title, Seifer never tired of it. His nerves were calmed by the reminder of the power he held, despite how powerless he currently felt. "We have reached the former General Caraway's residence but there isn't any sign of him anywhere."

"There's nowhere else he could've gone without our knowing about it," Seifer snapped bitterly into the phone, his mood falling back into the dour pit it had crawled from. The news was unsettling, compound interest atop the already shitty situation they were dealing with. Caraway was the sole person responsible for stalling the Missile Launch for as long as it had been stalled and Seifer did not doubt the man was giving the SeeDs the time they required in order to stop it. He would hang by his neck for this, of that Seifer was certain. "And even if he could, the guy's practically ancient. He couldn't have gotten very far without his walker."

Well, he'd certainly got his wish though. Maybe next time, he'd wish for Squall's head on a fucking silver platter.

"But sir, we've searched the entire manor both inside and out," the voice persisted. Seifer growled in his throat at the arguing tone but allowed the simple man to continue his report. "The mansion's been scrubbed from top to bottom, but no sign of him still. His staff and guards are not cooperating, they haven't said more than two words since we've shown up and even less since we began interrogating them. They know something but they're not saying."

"Then kill one of them," Seifer snarled. "Maybe seeing their own suffer will loosen their tongue. In the meantime, I want all the exits secured and a search in all directions beyond the perimeter. There's gotta be an alternative exit somehow."

He stopped suddenly, a thought occurring to him and he almost cursed again for how obvious it seemed. "_Or _a secret tunnel. One that the staff know about. The SeeDs attempted to escape into the sewers from the Gateway. Maybe there's a tunnel leading into the sewers from the manor."

"But he could be miles away by now," the soldier protested.

"And what do you expect _me _to do about it?" Hold your _fucking _hand? Search every god-damned tunnel, every single fucking one you can find and bring the asshole to the Sorceress, or I'll give her _your fucking head _instead!"

His blood was boiling and he was incensed at how useless these soldiers were. If he ever had the displeasure of crossing paths with this fuck up he would tear him a new one. At the end of his temper, he disconnected the phone call and hurled the phone across the hall, watching as it collided with the wall and shattered apart into three separate pieces.

* * *

While he was exceptionally grateful that the train to Timber was back up and running, he supposed it should have been predictable, almost inevitable. The ones responsible for the troubles in Timber that was cause for the lockdown had been arrested. Because they had been removed from the public, the government had deemed it safe enough to lift the lockdown imposed. As the former head of the Galbadian military, he had been privy to such information and had planned accordingly.

He'd had no choice but to leave the manor, even though he had yet to hear from the sharpshooter. He could only hope that Rinoa managed to get out of the prison and to a safe place. All he wanted was to be reunited with his daughter, but there was very little he could do from behind bars. His only chance to do something was to leave. He didn't know how long it would take for the soldiers to realize there were secret tunnels leading out every which way from his manor, but he was hoping his luck would hold out long enough to get out of Galbadia's reach.

He'd emerged from a manhole in an alley near the train station and had boarded the train leading out of the Capital. Another thing for him to be grateful for were the number of friends he still had despite the loss of his position in the military. These friends in particular were ones who still owed him a favour or two and as luck would have it they were in the position to be able to pay him off in full. It was because of them, and _only _because of them, that he had known of the arrest warrant on his name. It had also been because of them that he had managed to escape before he could have been identified by the soldiers and police who were busy patrolling the streets.

He had known what the consequences were, what the price was for his part in the assassination attempt and again for his hand in stalling the Missile launch. It had been a necessary risk though, because SeeD itself was detriment in the defeat of the Sorceress. He did not know why she fear them so, or what they could possibly do that no man in the world had done to present date, only that she viewed them as a threat. And it would pay to have such a threat against such a powerful woman in his back pocket. The Galbadians didn't know it yet, but their allegiance to the Sorceress would prove to be their downfall.

Caraway was a smart man and knew that there would be those watching him through transaction history to his movements. As such, he had purchased not one but _two _tickets, both transactions paid through cold hard Gil as opposed to credit cards. One ticket provided an expansive yet private cabin headed straight for the desert, roughly around where the prison was. He was hoping the Sorceress would believe that he would attempt to recruit his co-conspirators to start the beginnings of an army to topple her own organization. He knew she was far from stupid, but he was banking on her paranoia to lead her down this path, believing that he was capable and more likely to proceed through this course of action as opposed to the opposite.

Caraway had other plans. He had used the other ticket to board a train, and was planning on keeping as low a profile as he could manage as he left the capital and the country. He would head to Dollet, hoping that they would see the Sorceress was a greater threat than an ousted General, and would thus stand beside him in preparations of the war that was most definitely coming.

The former General did not see this act as one of cowardice. He did not see himself flee the sorceress with his proverbial tail between his legs. No, he saw this more as a tactical retreat in order to lick his wounds and regroup. He was more than terrified that his daughter might reap the consequences should she remain in the Sorceress' grasp and again all he could do was hope that Irvine managed to get her out before Edea could become aware of his sudden disappearance.

Abandoning all attempts at reading the newspaper he had smuggled aboard, if only for the fact that it kept his face concealed, Caraway let the object drop onto his lap with a heavy sigh. Rather than the military uniform emblazoned by metals and badges he had reaped throughout his years of service, he was instead dressed casually, his brown jacket and black vest blending into the surroundings of the civilians who sat nearby. To anyone else, he was a comely passenger, more than likely returning to Dollet after having been stranded in the hateful country for god knew how long. Angelo was safely curled beneath his seat, slumbering on blissfully against the rumble of the train.

No one would have suspected anything amiss from this middle-aged man and his four-legged companion. And as long as he kept up the charade until the train crossed over into Dollet boarders, it would stay that way.

Deling might have been a fool, blinded by his desire of power and further fuelled by his greed, but Caraway was far from falling into the same trap. He had known the Sorceress for what she was the moment he had learned of her participation in Deling's schemes. He had allied himself with the enemy only to protect his country from the harm Edea would cause the nation, the very people he had sworn to protect. Now Martine was paying the price, and Caraway decided that it would be far more conductive to withdraw and regroup rather than stick around and find out what was in store for him.

But under no uncertain terms, he knew and acknowledged that the Sorceress had to be stopped before she could bring this war too far.

* * *

Tentatively, she followed after the soldiers in camo gear as they led her to their destination. After spending the last several hours running around the base, walking seemed like a godsend to her aching feet.

She had just received instructions from one of the soldiers she had been reporting under to meet with the soldiers who were running things in the Loading Bay. There, she would get an update on the situation and report to the Base Commander himself. This was most definitely the moment she'd been waiting for. Quistis had already told her in snatches about the microcomputer she had found and she had been hoping they would get lucky twice. Regardless of what they did, they would need the Base Commander's ID card in order to override the block on certain sections in the mainframe and seize control of the missile controls themselves. After all, the Base Commander probably wouldn't let her use the main terminal if she said she needed to check her email or something frivolous sounding like that.

At least now she didn't need an excuse to be up there.

So she had met with the Loading Bay guys and gotten all the information she needed in order to make her report to the big man himself. Escorted by the soldiers who had met her along the path to Base Command, they proceeded up the stairs and down the narrow corridor to their destination. It was so narrow in fact that one soldier led the way while the other held up the rear, leaving Selphie smack dab in the middle. The echo of their footfalls were the only thing to break the silence that fell, because the two soldiers were too stiff to talk. The couple of attempts she'd made had been ignored and instead she'd focused her attention on how she would acquire the Base Commander's ID card.

The room they were heading to turned out to be near the end of the hall. When they reached the door, the two soldiers stood just in front of the threshold leaving her to stand at the doorway. No one gestured or indicated what she should do next, and she took that as an instruction to enter the room. She did so and when neither one of the guards tried to stop her, it encouraged her to keep going.

Inside the room were three soldiers, each decked out in the traditional uniforms of the Galbadian soldiers rather than the camouflage gear these guys wore. One of the soldiers, the guy in the red jumpsuit, was standing over a console and a second later, his voice filtered through the air as he spoke into the loudspeaker. "Attention all personnel. This message comes from the control room. As of now the missiles have been loaded and are prepped for launch. Personnel are to report to their designated stations. All unauthorized personnel are to report to the meeting room until further notice."

Selphie contained her expression but her insides were throwing a tantrum. The coal must've worked faster than she thought it would, because she hadn't expected the power to come back so quickly. The sudden announcement clenched the notion that they were running very low on time again and they would have to act quickly if they wanted to stop the missile launch.

Worse was if they didn't act quickly and get out before the soldiers got the surveillance tapes systems back up and running. Because if they did, they would be able to identify Irvine as the one who cut off the power in the first place. They would also know that Quistis had tampered with the missiles with the microcomputer. They would be able to defend themselves regardless of the fact that Selphie had left her nunchaku behind in the truck to keep from being noticed. Paramagic and junctions were still handy, making it a much desired step up to her previous predicament at the D-District Prison.

Deciding not to stall any longer than she already had, Selphie cleared her throat and addressing the man in red, who was obviously the leader. "I've come to report on the Missile Coordinate Data."

The soldier in red started, no doubt not having expected her voice, before turning to regard her, the lower half of his mouth twisted into a frown of confusion. "Huh?" He barked out almost dully but then he perked up as though having just realized what she'd come here for. "Oh, right."

Selphie stood as tall as she could, the man's presence demanding that much from her. She didn't acknowledge this verbally or even mentally, it was a subconscious reaction. Pushing past the feeling, she started with her report as she considered the best way to relieve this man of his coveted ID. "Confirmation of the data has been made. The team who did the final system's check confirmed that everything was up to par and that all systems were good to go."

"Did they?" the Commander asked almost languidly. Selphie was caught off guard by the unexpected tone and got a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that told she was missing something.

Quickly, she ran over what she had said and how she had given her report and realize she'd done just fine. More than fine actually, she had nailed it on the head. This guy's reaction threw her for a loop and she wasn't sure if she should make a break for it or figure out what his problem was.

Hearing footfalls from behind, she looked back to see that one of the soldiers in blue was currently standing between her and the door. And even if she decided to take this guy out like a chump, the two goons standing guard would make terrible obstacles. Feeling very much like a caged animal, she tried her best not to appear as vulnerable as she felt as the nervousness in her gut increased.

For his part, the Base Commander had stayed right where he was and almost seemed to ignore that his two goons had blocked the only exit in the room. But something in the lower half of his features told her that he knew all about it, he just ignoring them. He fixed her with a scrutinizing look that made her feel subconscious. It was almost like he was contemplating her, sizing her up as a threat or simply an accomplice for a much bigger and more terrifying foe.

"You know something," the elder man barked out finally, cause the young girl to start from her own thoughts. "I make it a point to know _everyone _in this base, and I'm proud to say it's served me well over the years." He started walking then, almost casually as he made his passed to the left and then proceeded towards the right. "Granted, age makes it very difficult to keep at it. Memory isn't what it used to be. I wouldn't be surprised if some John Smith told me I'd called him Doug or some other name that wasn't his own, or if I'd completely forgotten Sam Jefferson altogether and assumed it was his first day. But we have this tricks in our brains that we use as reminders. The strange quirk in someone's jaw, a mole by another maggot's nose, or the slope of a forehead. Maybe it's not even in the face. Could be the strange indent of someone's fingers, or the way one guy favours his right leg instead of his left."

He came to a stop in front of Selphie once again, who had been watching his movements in a wariness she would have afforded a stark raving lunatic. However, he was much closer to her now than he had been when he'd first started and she couldn't help but wonder if it was an optical illusion or something. "Or, in your case, how tall or short they were. And I can say without a doubt that no matter how obsolete my memory's become over the years, I would be _sure _to remember someone as short and puny as you, be it a lowly janitor or an insignificant soldier under my Command."

Selphie took a deep breath to mask the swallowing motion she made, her mouth suddenly very dry. She couldn't be sure whether or not he was on to her, but she still had an ace up her sleeve. "I just started here today, and…"

"Well, that's one _hell _of a coincidence, young lady," the Commander barked up, interrupting her and causing her to start with an embarrassing _squeak. _ He turned his back to her and proceeded further across the room instead of the left and right pacing he had done moments before.

She started for a matter of two reasons. The first was the abruptness in the way he had started speaking again. It had caught her off, startling her almost as effectively as if someone had sneaked behind her and dropped a rubber spider in front of her face. She still remembered what had happened to the guy who thought he'd be funny and pull that trick on her. He hadn't thought it was so funny when she'd, in an attempt to jump back and away from the fake creature (though to be fair, she had been more startled at its sudden appearance in front of her face rather than for the sole fact that it had been a spider) she had accidently stomped on the guy's foot and slammed the top of her head into his jaw. He hadn't been able to talk for a couple of weeks and she's almost managed to crush the bones in three of his toes.

But the second response had been an automated one based on her previous experience with the use of the term. She still could hear the monster Gerogero calling Rinoa that before he had turned into a drooling, dripping undead monster who smelled so bad she'd almost thrown up in his presence. Just remembering how he had thrown Squall and Zell around like they were ragdolls and had almost eaten Rinoa alive was enough to bring the nightmares back to the forefront of her mind. She pushed them back though, because she couldn't afford to dissolve into a terrified mass at a time like this.

To help her do this, she forced herself to focus on what the man before her was saying. It didn't help too much though, but it still served as a distraction. "You start _here, _today, of _all _days, and a few hours later, things start going to _shit_."

Terrified for a completely different reason now, Selphie's alarm bells were blaring at the level of a five alarm blaze. Had she been made? How could they have possibly figured her out? What had she done to draw their attention to her? Had she alerted them to the identities of her conspirators? What were they going to do now?

"Not only that," the Commander continued, "but I received word from the prison a couple miles out. Apparently history's in the making today. Someone actually managed to escape from D-District, and they're some very high-profile prisoners at that. Now, for them to have managed that they'd have had to be strong, intelligent and know the layout of the building to be able to get out of the country, no, the _world's _most impenetrable prison. Wouldn't you agree that that's a rather blaring coincidence?"

Selphie couldn't say a word, and instead nodded in agreement, if only to hope that it would convince this man that she was innocent. But the soldier laughed, almost enough to startle her again though this time she managed to restrain herself if only slightly. "Well, I'm a man who doesn't _believe _in coincidences. In life, there's always an explanation for something. Now here's _my _explanation. I think the when the prisoners escaped, they set out to sabotage the missile launch. I think they managed to sneak on in here in a 'barrowed' truck and blend in as the crew here in order to get close enough to the controls to stop us. Seems to me like they woulda had enough time to get here from there, especially since our troubles didn't start until about a few hours after."

He seemed to wait for a response, but when Selphie did not gift him with one, he proceeded. Selphie figured he liked to hear himself talk, which was why it was taking him so long to get to the point. "That's what I think at least. And because I'm not a man who depends on hearsay, I wanted some god-damned evidence. So I did a little bit of digging once I'd found the report. You wanna guess what I found?"

This time he did not give her the chance to respond and simply pulled out a piece of paper he had grabbed off the table in the centre of the room and began to read from it. Selphie assumed it was from her benefit and hoped to god that she wasn't shaking nearly as badly as she thought she was. "Five teenagers, four of them confirmed SeeD operatives, arrested on charges of the attempted assassination of Galbadia's leader, Sorceress Edea. One of them was pardoned due to some technicality…"

He rushed through the last part as though seemingly not caring it. Selphie assumed it was irrelevant to the situation at hand and she was becoming more and more certain that the jig was up. His tone slowed back down though when he got to the next part. "An hour after the pardon, the four SeeD operatives managed to escape the prison."

Throwing back the piece of paper behind him, he fixed her with a cold look that was intensified by the visor he wore. "The escapees' current whereabouts are unknown, and with the timeline I already gave you, it should be obvious where _I _think they might be."

"But I don't see what this has to do with me, Sir," Selphie was barely able to squeak out in her defence. Her heart was beating so fast, it was threatening to burst from behind her ribcage.

The soldier fixed her with an almost disbelieving look before proceeding. "It just so happens that one of the female escapees was short. _Incredibly _short, possibly enough to pass as a middle schooler. She also had short brown hair and green eyes. Hold her down boys!"

Before she could properly reaction, Selphie was being pinned down by the two soldiers clad in blue. She struggled even as their fingers dug painfully into her arms but before she could form a proper defence, the red soldier was standing in front of her and ripping off the hat she had been wearing up until now. Grabbing the top of her hair, he yanked hard and forced her to look up and at him. "Seems to me you fit the description almost too perfectly."

_Dammit,_ Selphie thought in her panic, biting back a cry of pain from the forceful hold the goon in red had on her. _Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why Hyne? What did I do to deserve being born so damn short?_

"Now I'm gonna assume your group split up," the Commander spoke calculatingly. "Six is far too big to be wandering around a base trying to keep undetected. Besides, it'd be smarter to send some of you to warn the Garden while the rest focused on stopping the launch." He sneered some more. "And I'm betting you wouldn't be _stupid _enough to come all this way by yourself. So you're gonna tell me exactly who's been working with you inside the base, where your co-conspirators are."

Selphie didn't say anything at first. How could she when the Commander had managed to deduce just about everything aside from the identities of her comrades. She would never know just how they managed that feat, but she wasn't about to give up, not when they were so close. She was a SeeD dammit. Her mission would be completed, no matter what happened in the end. She would be damned if Quistis and Irvine got made because she was the one to give them up.

"Up yours, asshole!" She all but shrieked instead and threw her leg out to nail the Commander in the groin. Only he was smarter and faster and managed to step back and avoid the attack before it could land. The soldiers pinning her tightened their grip and pulled her out of range. Even if he hadn't moved she would have missed.

"Fine," the Commander said through a growl, no doubt knowing exactly where she had been aiming. "_Make _her talk. I want her singing like a robin in the next five minutes."

Selphie quickly dug her heels into the floor to prevent the soldiers from dragging her further inside. When the soldiers were pulled off balance from the action, she wrenched her arm free and, with all her might, she threw her fist out and caught the poor man in the jaw. Normally this would have done nothing except made the soldier mad, but because if Ifrit and Siren, the blow had enough force to throw him back into the wall across from the room. Selphie whirled around to see that both Commander and the other soldier had their jaws hitting the floor in response, more than likely not having expected the sight at all.

They managed to recover quickly and the Commander ordered the other goon to attack her. Loyal but stupid, the remaining goon charged forward and withdrew his short sword from its holster in one fluid motion.

At the sight, Selphie quickly tried to back pedal, knowing that her junctions did not make her immortal. As she moved, she tapped her microphone for the on switch, whispered for help and ducked the overhead slash that would've taken her head off her shoulders had she not chosen to move at that instant. Selphie crouched down and was forced to pull up a hasty block as the soldier threw out his leg in order to knock her off balance. Selphie would give this guy points, he was creative and a pretty good fighter.

Just not _that_ good.

Grabbing a hold of the soldier's leg before he could reign it back in and right his balance, Selphie twisted sharply to the right and heard a loud crunch that was quickly followed by a pain filled scream. She non-too-gently released the foot so that it hit the ground painfully, taking the soldier with it who immediately cradled his now broken leg.

"My men!" The Commander shouted. Behind her, Selphie could hear the first soldier beginning to recover, more than likely wondering what was happening. But her attention was trained on the Commander, who was looking angrier and angrier by the second. "You _bitch!_"

And then he was pointing the grafted submachine gun on his arm right at her.

* * *

He hadn't taken into account his surroundings when he'd heard the message. One second he was waiting leisurely in the meeting room with the other janitors and the next he was running, damn near sprinting in his attempt to reach Base Command, his hand automatically reaching for the rifle he had tucked beneath the waistband of his pants.

How had they figured it out? That was the question he could not answer, the one that repeated itself over and over in his head like a mantra, the very thing that propelled his movements closer and closer to his destination. But even as he asked himself this ever important question he knew he shouldn't have been surprised. These soldiers didn't appear to be the average jarhead of the Galbadian military. They couldn't afford to be if they were working at the Missile Base. If he was being honest with himself he would have admitted that they did well getting as far as they did.

But he wasn't ready to admit that to himself, at least not now when one of his comrades was no doubt being pinned down by the soldiers who had called her up in the first place.

He was practically flying through the hallways of the base, ignoring the calls from the soldiers who were working the grounds to stop, ignoring the demands that inquired his presence in restricted areas. But he could not ignore the clicking sound of automated weapons being raised behind him and so grudgingly he paused in his stride, stopping a few feet away from the soldiers and raising his hands into the air almost automatically. The call to stop registered after the ominous sound and the footfalls of soldiers advancing padded across the metal floor.

_Not now, ya idiots,_ Irvine's mind snapped and he cursed them all the more as they continued their approach. But before he could come up with some lame-brained excuse as to why he was out in the halls when he should've been in the meeting room awaiting further instructions, he heard a startled shout from the soldiers. Instinct took over and he practically dove around the corner as automated gunfire sounded and the guards' cries and shouts of pain filled the corridor until all that was left was a ringing silence.

This silence was disturbed by a couple of _thuds _and then the pit-pat of footfalls as someone advanced towards him. He chanced a glance around to see what was what and immediately relaxed as the familiar blonde ran towards him, armed with a submachine gun. He could only assume she'd wrestled it from some unfortunate soldier she'd run into along the way. The sight brought him back to that strange experience where he'd been that Kiros guy in Winhill, fighting alongside Laguna who'd been some kind of machine gunner. But the ex-soldier was a far cry from being as near attractive as Quistis looked armed with the weapon.

_Guns and Gals._

"Off your ass, Irvine," Quistis retorted as she passed by, her ponytail swinging back in forth as she continued her run. Wasting no time, he pulled himself off his duff and followed after her, letting her take point as he withdrew his own rifle and covered the rear in case they were being followed. He didn't even pause in his stride throughout the action.

Selphie's distress message had lit a fire in both of them and the pair continued to run to where the shorter girl's last known whereabouts were in the hopes that they weren't too late.

As Irvine turned the corner, he spotted Quistis opening fire upon the end of the catwalk. She held the weapon in an upward angle and seconds after she waved the weapon to and fro as she fired, a body riddled with bullets powered by automated fire slid to the floor, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. She didn't waste time with the body and proceeded up the set of stairs that would lead them to Base Command. Not minding the body himself, Irvine followed.

The sharpshooter had always considered himself to be in pretty good shape but it seemed that he just wasn't making the cut compared to the SeeD girl. Reminding himself that she was junctioned and therefore leaving him in a bit of a disadvantage, he drew in a lungful of breath and cursed as he followed after her, his legs burning from the exertion. He heard more gunfire rapport and when he reached the top he saw another soldier leaning against the wall limp and lifeless as a ragdoll.

Quistis had stopped running by this point and was pressing her back against the wall, submachine gun raised. Irvine joined her, almost bumping into her and knocking her off balance. She threw him a look that barely registered his presence before redirecting her attention to the door ahead. Seconds later, she held out three fingers, indicating they count down and at his acknowledging nod she started counting. But just as she reached _two_, the sound of gunfire erupted from the room followed closely by a surprised shout of _"_What are you, an idiot?"

Deciding to screw the count, both SeeD and sharpshooter stood at the door, noting the situation within. The controls, which he had worried would be rendered useless by the soldier's attack, were completely unharmed. The gunfire from the soldier was still going, but it barely even touched the smaller girl who stood in the pathway as her hands were cupped in front of her and a blue shield of magic was absorbing the blasts.

"You'll hurt the machines!" Selphie was shouting in outrage, her voice sounding over the gunfire. "And _then _what're you gonna do?"

Just as Irvine was preparing to do the same, Quistis held her arm out in front of him blocking his shot. "Same problem," Quistis responded when he threw her a look.

"Then whatcha reckon we're s'pose ta do?"

Quistis' left hand went down to her hip and in a fluid motion she withdrew her chain whip, which had been obscured by her uniform shirt. The stolen machine gun was still gripped in her right hand, a feat only performed thanks to the GF, and without so much as a warning she threw out her left arm, sending the weapon flying and somehow manoeuvring it around the soldier's neck like a lasso. Aborting his attempts to kill Selphie, his hands flew up to pry the object away from his throat, but Quistis flicked her wrist and the weapon tightened instead, cutting off his air supply.

Selphie turned her attention to the doorway and she tensed instead of relaxed, her eyes widening alarmingly. "Irvine! The other soldier!"

Irvine looked over to the left where she was indicating and spotted another soldier dressed in blue preparing to finish them off with gunfire. Selphie was quicker than Irvine, even as he was raising his weapon to open fire, Selphie sprinted and then slid the distance between them, knocking the soldier off his feet. The poor guy landed face first into the floor as Selphie collided with the wall, and Irvine quickly checked the man's pulse. He found the fall itself and the awkward angle at which he fell had killed him.

Then he heard another sudden snap that drew his attention forward. Turning around he spotted the soldier in red fall into a useless heap atop the floor as Quistis snapped her whip back into place, returning it to her holster shortly after that. He had the distinct feeling he wouldn't be troubling them. There was another soldier laying atop the floor, his leg bent at an odd angle, but he wasn't moving either. He only wondered if the guy was dead for a second before forcing it from his mind and focussing on the task at hand.

"I can't believe they caught onto me," Selphie said, seemingly furious with herself. She suddenly kicked at the soldier nearest to her, scowling in her frustration.

"We're almost done here as it is. It won't matter that they've caught onto us, at least not in the long run. We just need to find the Missile Base Controls and shut them down for good."

"The goon in red's the one in charge," Selphie supplied helpfully as she bounded over towards him. Ducking down she started to search his pockets, probably for an access card or something.

"If these three know we're in the base, the chances are high that other soldiers have been made aware," Quistis said grimly. "They'll be on the lookout for us, particularly if they have our descriptions. Not that Irvine or I were very discreet getting here."

At this, Irvine eyed the submachine gun the former instructor still wielded, but was careful to avert his gaze as she took in the room. "They'll definitely know what Selphie looks like. I think a change in appearance is in order, especially if we want to get out of her withdrawing unwanted attention."

"Well, how about these uniforms?" Irvine drawled as he crouched down next to the soldier Selphie had killed. "Reckon they aren't _exactly _usin' 'em nomore, now that they're dead and all, right?"

"Is there one that'll even fit me?" Selphie asked as she rose to her feet. In her hand was a keycard – probably the one they would need to access the controls. "I mean, they said I was the shortest in the _whole _base. That's how they caught me in the first place."

"Hopefully with the panic caused by self-destruct sequence will be enough cause of distraction." Quistis supplied helpfully. "Besides, it's all we've got at the moment, so we'll have to make due."

* * *

_Seifer's bit wasn't originally in the game, and I always thought there should have been something that told us what happened after he left the Missile Base. That and the fact that he told Squall about the Missile Launch and didn't appear to have been punished always set me off. I doubt Seifer would have gotten away with that, particularly since its practically thwarted the Sorceress' plans on dealing with SeeD. The no dreams punishment comes from a flashback that was shown in Disk 3, where Seifer is promised to dream once again if he brings the Lunatic Pandora up from the ocean, and I thought it would be perfect foreshadowing from that if he lost all of those fanciful dreams he'd been given from the Sorceress. If I'm just misinterpreting the Sorceress' words, then oops on me._

_As for Caraway, of course I'm not gonna kill the guy off. It would make more sense, but then again Caraway didn't become the Galbadian General for nothing, now did he? So instead of having him sit at home when he very obviously should have been made to pay (he attempted to have the new leader of Galbadia killed, after all, so having him stay in his study and offer to play cards with you seems really dumb...) he would flee to Dollet, taking Angelo with him. Don't think that you haven't seen the last of the former General, though this is kind of my excuse for cutting Angelo out of the story (for fans of the dog, I'm sorry, but I kept forgetting about her during my initial draft of the story. There wasn't a way for me to just cut the dog out of the story entirely so I settled with writtng her out). Maybe she'll make another appearance, that's if I remember her)._

_The fight scene with the Base Commander and the two soldiers wasn't very impressive, but that's because it's not really an impressive scene in my eyes. When I got to this point in the game, it felt like 'okay, you're in my way, time to die', they died and I moved on. Not to sound heartless or anything, but that's just the way I felt about it. That being said, I tried to make it seem a little more interesting, and I hope I was even a little successful. _

_And I know I didn't show the soldiers figuring out that Selphie was the mole. I did that on purpose because I thought it would be redundant to explain the way they figured it out twice, so I had the soldier tell her all of this rather than show it. I think it worked out okay in the end, since it built up the atmosphere (or at least, I hope it did), but again it probably could have been done better. The conversation was great, but I'm not so thrilled about the rest of it. I just hope I'm being overly picky (as usual) and that you guys enjoyed it._


	18. Chapter XVI: Countdown to Extinction

**Edited: **_06/24/10_

* * *

**Chapter XVI:  
Countdown to Extinction**

* * *

Trudging through the desert was most definitely the most foolhardy idea he had ever come up with in his lifetime.

If someone had approached him twelve years ago and told him he would have gotten his ass handed to him by a group of teenagers not only once, but _twice_, he would have probably beat the ever loving shit out of him. Not just because the idea itself was idiotic and moronic but it was downright _insulting_. Because William Biggs was a decorated officer, one of the best in the god-damned military. To suggest anything less than that would have been ridiculous.

Now he felt like he had when he'd first enlisted, a rookie who didn't have a clue about anything or anyone. Those same kids who were responsible for his ass-kicking had also managed to escape the world's most inescapable prison, causing chaos amongst the prisoners and prison keepers alike. Fortunately the number of escapees remained that of the SeeDs and their accomplices. Everyone else had been rounded up, sedated and then thrown back into their cells. It wasn't necessarily hard, especially considering none of them were classified as the traditional criminal. The only crimes they had committed were writing their views and publishing them for public view.

Normally he wouldn't have cared. Biggs would've been more than happy to see the SeeDs move as far away from him as possible. But knowing that the SeeDs were also persons of interest to the Sorceress and that she would not be happy to know they had escaped, it only made him more miserable.

These thoughts and more tumbled throughout his brain as he trudged for the last two hours through the sand that surrounded the D-District Prison on all sides. It was hot, he was sweltering in his armour and spandex uniform but he was too prideful to admit it. Yet again he was forced to pause in his stride to remove his boots and upend the alarming amount of sand that had somehow managed to find its way above the rim.

He didn't know which was worse. Waking up in Dollet after the trouncing he'd received in Dollet or waking up in the prison infirmary after learning he'd allowed the prisoners to escape. If he measured it during time spent hospitalized, this encounter was already looking better. The level of the screw up however suggested the opposite.

He'd had an opportunity to ride back to the capital with the rest of the men who were being transferred out but he had declined. He'd wanted to be alone with his thoughts, to clear them from his head. Contrary to popular belief, the prison was located near the northern edge of the desert and it would take maybe three hours to get out. He had packed plenty of water for the trip and was taking frequent enough breaks to ensure he remained hydrated. A lesser man might've died during the trek.

Besides, the desert was so much cooler at night.

He couldn't help but think, as he slipped forward and fell with his face buried into the sand that was supposed to be beneath him, that at least the ground leading from Dollet had had some traction. Not that he had been able to do much walking in the condition he had been. When he'd woken up, the infirmary had been more like the medical tarp of the camp base the Galbadians had set up just on the outskirts of Dollet territory. The only good thing that had come out of the whole situation was the knowledge of Dollet's cooperation in keeping the satellite dish's uplink operational. Biggs had taken that extremely well, considering he'd been the one to fix the damned thing in the first place.

But despite the piece of valuable information, Biggs had been forced to take the brunt of the punishment for SeeD's interference. Not only had they discovered the real reason they had invaded Dollet (this time), but a valuable piece of experimental equipment that had been in the works for the last two decades had been destroyed in a haul of smoldering metal because he had felt the need to set it on three lowly teenagers. The remaining debris that was left of the project was probably still littering the sands of the Lapin Beach where it had reportedly exploded.

Back then, Deling had been charge and he had not been pleased with the blunder. It was because of his hand in the whole sordid incident that he had been demoted down to Lieutenant right away, despite all the years he had served in military with not one single fuck up on his record. Deling had issued the order personally.

But now, under the rule of the Sorceress, he could expect even less leniency. He had no clue what waited for him once he returned to Deling City, but it was either that or defect. Biggs was no coward, he would face his punishment with the dignity that he upheld every damned day of his life. It didn't mean he couldn't stall however.

_Shit like this never happened when the General was running things, _Biggs thought, the belief laced with a bitterness that rocked him to the core.

Biggs was one of very few who felt remorse, even sadness, at the news of the General's dismissal, and this knowledge surprised him. Despite knowing that the man had betrayed his country by cooperating with an attack on Galbadian soil, Biggs couldn't find it in him to hate the man. He wasn't altogether positive that allying with the Sorceress was a good idea either, but he wasn't as brave or brass as General Caraway had been. He kept his head down, his nose clean and did as he was told. To him, the attempted assassination was no big deal. The Sorceress had survived, and she was fully justified in wanting to see the man pay. All the same, it was a shame, and it had come as a shock to learn of the sacking, particularly since the man had continued to issue orders right until the very moment the Sorceress had outted him.

And so because Caraway was no longer heading the military, the Sorceress' Knight was taking the helm. Particularly because they were waging war against SeeD, Almasy was a proven asset with invaluable knowledge of the enemy. It didn't sit well for Biggs to know he was taking orders from a punk, but to know that it was the _fourth _punk who had kicked his ass back in Dollet was the icing on the proverbial cake.

It just wasn't his fucking year.

With an irritated sigh, Biggs threw a passing glance over his shoulder at the other person who was accompanying him on this long walk. Biggs scowled as he directed his gaze forward, but it was not unkindly, not in the way he did with all the other soldiers he worked with. "You could've gone back with the convoy, you know," he grunted through heavy breaths as he continued his trek along the sand dunes. "You'd probably be in the Capital by now, chugging back a beer with the others."

"We both got screwed ten ways through Sunday, sir," Private David Wedge said through huffs of breath as he continued to keep pace a couple steps behind.

Unlike Biggs, there hadn't been much the government could do against Wedge aside from a military reprimand. There wasn't anything lower than a private, with the exception of a dishonourable discharge, but especially with the war on SeeD the people of Galbadia needed all the help they could get. In fact, it was the only thing that had saved _both _of their careers.

"So the _both _of us might as well take our time getting back to the city," Wedge continued despite Biggs' thoughts. "I wouldn't be surprised if we were both court marshalled for this one though. Manpower or no manpower, they can't overlook this."

Biggs grunted an affirmation as he fixed his attention forward. He gave the appearance that he was annoyed at the additional burden, but he couldn't force away the smile that spread along his features at his comrade's words. It was a kind and thoughtful gesture, to ditch the convey and relative comfort in order to accompany another soldier on his long trudge in the sand. The underlying meaning behind those words was all that needed to be said, and he was touched by the sentiment. He'd never known someone to have that much respect for anyone before now, let alone the target being himself. Then again, he'd had that same kind of respect for Caraway when he'd been in charge. Hell, he _still _had it.

_So the mantel must have passed on, _he mused to himself and allowed the happy thought to stick with him, at least for a while. If not for the rest of the journey, then most definitely the rest of the day.

* * *

Something had itched him the wrong way and he hadn't been able to pinpoint exactly what, just that it had started somewhere in the last few minutes the finishing touches on the missile launch preparations were taking place. It was like some divine intervention was trying to stop the Galbadians from taking out SeeD. And how could he not think that, when the launch was originally supposed to happen, the former General utilizes stall tactics that keep them from attacking the Gardens, and when they've finally cut through all the red tape and are ready to proceed as planned, the lights go out.

Now, nearly 16 hours later, the missiles were ready to launch and Corporal Dennis Nithras was expecting something else to go wrong.

He shook his head at the thought. He'd never before been a religious guy, so why the hell should he start believing in divine intervention? Nithras assumed it was all tension related, that the stress from their objective was causing him to think about things he normally wouldn't think about. It didn't help matters that he'd only just received the tongue-lashing of the century from his dick-up-his-ass superior officer about leaving expensive and important military equipment just laying around for anyone to just come along and grab.

Nithras had thought it would be worth the risks (though the ringing in his ears didn't much agree with him). Working with a gas cannon with a microcomputer strapped to his forearm had seemed to him to be a bad connection. Anything could've gone wrong and it would have been another sizeable chunk of Gil that was deducted from his already admittedly shitty paycheque.

But it had gotten much worse when the prick had found out he had hacked the machine to sign him in automatically, allowing him to bypass the authentication process. If he'd thought the man had been pissed before, he'd gone downright hysterical, so much so that a couple of passing soldiers had been forced to hold him back for Nithras' protection. He'd most definitely been reported, there was no question about that, and he sure as hell wouldn't have been shocked to hear it was gonna be his ass for the action once everything settled back down.

The way he saw it, it was no big deal keeping the system from booting him. He was fantastic when it came to machines and making them do whatever he wanted, but he had a terrible memory, particularly for passwords. He'd locked him out of the system so many times that he was walking thinly with the personnel responsible for resetting them, and he figured he had been saving time, energy and the headache of constantly running to them.

He knew he was good with machines and so did his superiors. That was probably the only reason he'd been entrusted with the damn thing in the first place. But what was done was done and as far as Nithras was concerned he could either feel sorry for himself, believe this day was cursed and everyone was out to get him, or get back to work and make up for mistakes made in the past.

Normally an upbeat kind of guy, Nithras chose the latter.

He did his job and kept his head down and his nose clean, making it a point to avoid drawing attention to himself. But the unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach was eating at him and he couldn't help but think they hadn't seen the worst of it. He turned on the microcomputer, looking both ways as the system booted up and allowed him access as his credentials were automatically entered in. He reassured himself that the superior hadn't exactly ordered him to reset the machine _immediately _and that it could be delayed for the duration of the day. Besides, there were far more things for him to focus on than that of the schematics of a computer. The fact that it would only take him a few minutes to do was inconsequential.

His satisfied smirk fell from his features as he registered the message that suddenly passed across his screen. It wasn't the sight of the message that had surprised him – it wasn't uncommon for soldiers to send messages to each other amongst the machine, though the feature had been disabled to conserve the auxiliary power being used the run the base. It was the message itself, signed by Commander Graham itself, detailing an order to abort the missile launch, to spread the word to the rest of the soldiers in the base and to await further instructions.

Nithras' feature broke into a frown as he reread the message over and over again, trying to find anything wrong with it. It looked authentic enough, logged in under the Commander's personal ID and the time stamp said that it had been sent only a few minutes ago. While it looked fine, the message twisted at him in the wrong way, especially since he knew the Commander had made a message on the loud speakers a little while ago. He knew they worked, so it made no sense for a message to be broadcasted over computer channels and then spread out through superior soldiers.

"Look alive, soldier!"

Nithras immediately dropped into attention, the microcomputer laying open at his side as he resisted the urge to groan at the sight of the superior stalking towards him. It was none other than Staff Sergeant Bradley Sheer, a mean sonovabitch with a chip on his shoulder and a penchant for taking it out on anyone he didn't have to answer to. Worse of all, he was the very prick who had torn him a new asshole over his microcomputer. Even as he made to pass him by, he glanced at the contraption, no doubt contemplating how to go about tearing it away from him.

Nithras would've handed it over willingly if he could've done so without looking like a lazy and incompetent ass.

Sheer was a mean looking guy and had the typical look of a jarhead in the military with hair cropped so short it was nearly impossible to tell the colour, a chin that was so flat and square it could've been chiselled that way and mean looking eyes that glared out beneath a thick and lined forehead. There was stubble along his jaw signalling a need for a shave, something that would not normally have been stated to the normally clean-shaven soldier. Sheer had a menacing habit of forcing soldiers to perform laborious task for not starting the day with skin clear of facial hair or hair cropped to uniformed precision.

It proved that the day had been long and taxing. So much so that you didn't have much time to take a piss let alone shave or shower.

"Back to work soldier!" Sheer barked, his voice gruff and deep like some junkyard dog establishing his territory. His gaze lingered at the microcomputer and when the man's arm lashed out like a snake striking its prey, strong fingers curling along his arm and damn near pulling it out of his shoulder socket as he forced it up, he was so scare that he had been busted for ignoring his previous orders. But the man's eyes flicked at the screen before fixing him with its almost dead stare and his arm was released just like that. Nithras forced himself to stay at attention, not only because he had not been instructed to stand at ease but because Sheer was mean enough to make him pay for such displays of weakness.

Then he smiled, but it wasn't one that reached the eyes. It was one that could've been grafted from marble and it caused a shiver to run up Nithras' spine. He almost expected the man to come at him with a concealed knife or something just from how feral the smile made him look. "Good," he sniffed suddenly. "Ya got the message. That's _one _less idiot I have to yell at."

The man stepped back and out of Nithras' personal space and made to move on, leaving him to his own devices. Against his better judgement, he made a noise similar to a call that caused the Staff Sergeant to stop in his tracks. Knowing that he had garnered his attention, he knew he couldn't back down now, not without paying for it later. It didn't stop him from swallowing forcefully though. "Don't you think it's a little odd? I mean, why the Base Commander's got us all running around relaying an order he can make over the noise makers?"

He inclined his head to the left, indicating one of the speakers in the wall nearby. Sheer's glare flicked up at it, the lower half of his face twisting into a deeper scowl than normal. It was the only indication Nithras had that he was frowning. Still, he continued. "The power's been back up and running for at least an hour now. I can understand if we were diverting the power to the launching bay, but that would have made the earlier announcement pointless, don't you think?"

"Your point, soldier," Sheer almost spat out. His tone indicated that he was fast running out of patients.

"Well, don't you think it's a waste of time to get us to relay a message he can normally make himself?"

He almost swallowed his tongue as the Staff Sergeant suddenly advanced upon him, his gorilla-like hands reaching for the collar of his uniform and pressing him up against the wall non-too-comfortably. He was able to breathe, though just barely and he found himself gagging slightly as pressure was applied to his windpipe.

"Ours is _not _to question why," Sheer spat, his tone indignant, his cold eyes alive and flashing. He resembled that of a wild animal and Nithras felt much like some dumb kid who'd been harassing the neighbourhood dog with a stick and was just learning the reason why that was such a stupid idea. "It is the Commander who runs this place, not us. If he wants ya'll ta run laps around the fucking continent during a state of emergency, you do _not _ask questions, you do _not_ ponder the logic, you _fucking _well do it!"

He leaned it fast, his face just inches from his own and Nithras could smell the stale smell of cigarettes. It almost made him gag but he very barely managed to force the reflex bag. "So _if _I hear you questioning your superiors again, I will personally see to it that you are faced with mile-long piles of _shit _in the latrine when I make you clean it up, do you understand me, _solider!_"

Wordlessly, Nithras bobbed his head up and down, unable to even respond. His tongue felt as though it had swelled in the back of his throat and was choking him almost as much as the bigger man was.

But then the pressure was released, and he fell to his rear on his floor unable to hold back the coughing and the deep intakes of breath as his lungs filled with air. Without another word, seemingly satisfied with the answer, Sheer stalked off, leaving the soldier behind. Nithras took a moment to wonder, not for the first time, how Sheer cleared the psyche evaluation when he enlisted or whether he would pull the stick out from his ass before he shook himself of the thought. Pulling himself together and then back up onto his feet, he sighed forlornly, reminding himself that this just wasn't his day.

* * *

"I'm all done!" Selphie squealed in excitement, almost giddy with anticipation as she turned to regard the rest of the team.

She had just spent the last few minutes deciding on how to word the message she had sent instructing the soldiers to stop the launch and spread the word to others before awaiting instructions. Finally settling on the phrasing, happy that it sounded official enough to her ears, she hoped the soldiers fell for the ruse. It would have been more ideal to have the head honcho make the announcement himself to avoid suspicion, but with him being dead and all, that was impossible. And no one's voice was anywhere near close enough for it to be any use to impersonate him, so they had been forced to settle.

In front of her were the monitors that had originally been shut off, but Selphie had turned them on in order to survey the rest of the base. In addition, one monitor in particular had been set up to display the status of the missile launching sequence. She had been unable to contain herself in her glee upon noting that the readings of the silos had returned to normal and the countdown sequence shut off. She pulled the metal helmet up over her hair and noted through the screens how it shielded the top half of her face from view. She frowned slightly as she realized the headgear was heavier than she thought, weighing her down and making it difficult to keep her head up.

But, of course, that was what junctions were for.

Having abandoned their janitorial uniforms, Selphie took a few steps back to survey herself better in the monitors and decided that she didn't look too shabby in the military garb at all. Her first thought was the belief that she would look out of place, even more so than she had as a janitor. The name badge read 'Addams', more than likely the name of the soldier who had originally owned the uniform which was emblazoned with a metal on the shoulders that suggested he was one of the top ranking officers. She figured that would help them out a lot when they made their escape.

The thing she thought would take some getting used to was the sight on the helmet she wore. In the mirror, she saw three circular dots placed in a triangle formation, but beneath the helmet the view was normal, almost as though she wasn't wearing it. She guessed the dots were meant to be decorative and hadn't realized they'd been there during Sir Laguna's adventures as a Galbadian soldier. One of her main concerns (aside from how out of place she might look) was the possibility that the other soldiers would make her as a girl when clearly the owner was male. But when she pulled on the breastplate over her shoulders and dropped it into place, she was relieved to note that it hid her chest from sight. The waist armour did the same thing to her curvy hips, and she looked like any other (albeit short) soldier in the base.

The disguise was perfect, and the operation set. All the three of them had to do was initiate the self-destruct sequence that would destroy the Missile Base and then exit stage right disguised as the bigwigs in charge. No one would be the wiser, Balamb Garden would be safe, and the Galbadians would never be able to pull this stunt again. The only thing that would have jarred the plan off its course was the knowledge of their escape from the prison, though Quistis and Selphie had promptly taken care of that by destroying this evidence. What remained of it now lay in scattered pieces of torn paper along the floor, and would burn like kindling once the place went up in the upcoming explosion.

As she admired herself in the reflective surface ahead of her, she suddenly felt an itch in the small of her back right under the armour plating and tried to scratch at it through her gloves. The fabric was irritating her skin and for an alarming second she thought she might be allergic, despite having never suffered an allergic reaction to anything in her life. But then she realized that it wasn't so much an allergy as it was the sweat that was clinging to the fabric. Taking a tentative sniff, Selphie cringed and almost gagged as she realized a drawback to this plan. Men don't shower, especially after dying.

_Grossness!_ She whined mentally before pulling herself together. She was a SeeD. She could deal with excess man stink and a couple of itchy parts if it meant the success of a mission.

Behind her, Quistis and Irvine had almost managed to finish changing uniforms. Because he was the tallest, Irvine was dressed like the base Commander, though the additional metal armour seemed to weigh down the brawler more than he had expected, since he was slightly hunched over. Like Selphie, Quistis donned the blue and, like Irvine, the former instructor's hair had been bunched up and was currently behind held in place by the helmet she wore. She didn't appear to have any trouble with the metal armour or the spandex suit (to which Selphie felt immense envy for, since the tight material pinched at her chest a bit).

However, unlike the pair before her, Selphie's uniform lumped and sagged in placed where it should've have been otherwise tightened. The metal groin guards and chest guards kept it in place, but the access amount of leg room had been tucked into her boots, which were a few sizes too big for her tiny child-size feet. To take her mind off it though, Selphie resorted to inspecting the computer systems in front of her, biting her lip as she took in the sight of the knobs, buttons and switches afforded to her. This was clearly Zell's area of expertise, not hers. Knowing which button would cause the base to blow up would have been an upside but she didn't think they had much time to search around for an instruction manual.

"I think I might have found something."

Grateful that she wouldn't have to experiment (the tried and true 'Eeny, meeny, miney, moe' tactic would most definitely not fly here), Selphie almost tackled the former instructor when she'd come to her rescue. She turned around to spot the blonde girl inspecting a door that looked like it was bolted to the opposite end of the room. Thinking that it couldn't stand the force of a junctioned SeeD, Selphie lunged for it and kicked at it experimentally, squeaking and hopping around on one foot for her efforts. Apparently, the door won that round.

"Somehow, I knew that wouldn't work," Quistis deadpanned.

Once the throbbing in her foot had faded to an almost bearable ache, Selphie ceased her hopping and sulked. She should have realized it wouldn't have been that easy.

"Reckon there're keycards that'll get us on inta tha room," Irvine drawled helpfully, indicating the door and the room beyond it. Upon closer inspection Selphie realized he was right. On either side of the door, there were slots that looked like a keycard could fit right into it.

"So…" Selphie said after a minute of staring, "anybody got the key?"

"Three guards, two slots…" Quistis supplied thoughtfully. "Seems a fair bet both would be here among these soldiers. I'm willing to bet Gil that the Base Commander's key is one of the required pair. As for the other," she shrugged, "it's anyone's guess I suppose."

Selphie searched her pockets and liberated the aforementioned key, holding it up in sight of the other two before inspecting it closely, for what she didn't really know. Finally, she gave up. Whatever was so special about it in design, Selphie would never know.

Without being asked to do so, Irvine and Quistis both patted themselves down for the remaining key. Selphie couldn't understand why the sharpshooter was doing so when the key in Selphie's hand was the only one she'd found on the Base Commander, but she supposed she might have overlooked a spare in the event the guy didn't trust the rest of the team.

But the thought flew from her mind when Quistis produced another key that looked like the one Selphie was holding. She shrugged again, though the action seemed uncertain. "I suppose we just got lucky."

"Luck's had everything to do with this mission," Selphie supplied with a shrug of her own as she tossed her own key forward. Irvine caught it almost clumsily, almost dropping it but managed to retain his hold. "_I _wanna find that self-destruct."

Selphie waited as patiently as she could, bouncing from foot to foot in anticipation as Quistis and Irvine took their respective places at either side of the door. Both inserted their keycards at almost the exact same time and with a thrill and a beep, the door pushed inward, startling the trio before it slid to the right and out of view, the lights from inside the room blinking into existence and chasing away the darkness that had consumed it moments prior.

Crossing the threshold carefully yet quickly, Selphie was the first to step foot inside the new room, which actually felt more like a closet. A single light shone from the ceiling above, but Selphie barely registered the room itself, simply moving towards the only console at the end of the room. Like the dashboard beneath the monitors she had examined previously, there were several knobs and buttons and switches to inspect and a feeling reminiscent to that of old spy movies floated to mind. She shook away the thoughts with some difficulty, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.

Purposefully she strode until she was standing right in front of the console, finding herself staring at a glass box housing a single large red button. Without hesitation, the diminutive SeeD smashed the box into bits with her fist, watching as glass littered the floor and the dash in its destruction. Tears formed through the gloves, but her skin – protected and enhanced by the Guardian Forces she had junctioned – kept her skin bereft of cuts and slits that would have otherwise been caused by the action.

A heavy thrill filled her as she realized that this was it, that the only thing standing in the path of Trabia's vengeance was a single red button. Although her native Garden was doomed to destruction, she would be at least granting SeeDs like herself a chance to fight against the Sorceress, a means of protection before the approaching war that was likely to follow. It wouldn't be a 'hunt for survivors' as Seifer had told Squall in the prison. Instead, it would be the enemy of the Sorceress, one of her own making, taking a stand against her villainy.

These thoughts and more raced through her mind as she raised her arm up high above her head, her hand fisted tightly causing the _creak _of fabric as it rubbed against itself. It wasn't just about vengeance for the Sorceress' actions, but it was about keeping the Galbadians from using this kind of leverage against anyone else ever again.

"Booyaka!" Selphie shouted with all her might before she brought her arm down fast, her tiny fist depressing the red object into the dash with such a force she doubted it would ever spring back up.

For the next minute (which became the longest minute in Selphie's relatively short life) nothing happened, and she didn't dare breathe until she caught a hint of _something_. Behind her, neither Quistis nor Irvine made a sound, they two waiting with baited breath. But then a shrill alarm sounded from all around them so abruptly that everyone's hands flew up to their armour-covered ears to dull the sound. Selphie turned in her tracks and kept watch of the door, readying herself to sprint forward at the slightest shift it might make.

Her first thoughts of the alarm were that they were a security measure instilled to prevent intruders like herself from ever reaching the self-destruct. But when the door remained stationary and open, she felt relief wash over her, a relief that was reinforced by the sound of an automated voice coming over the loud speaker, alerting them that they had fifteen minutes to vacate the premises before the base exploded.

"_Attention. Self-destruct sequence has been initiated. All personnel have fifteen minutes to vacate the premises or abort the sequence. Repeat…_"

"Now let's blow this taco stand!" Selphie cheered as she cleared the threshold, both hands raised above her head and her hands clenched tightly into fists. While Quistis groaned at the poor choice of words, Irvine was wise enough not to respond as he pocketed the two keycards – more than likely as a precaution in case they might need them. And without another word, the trio ran full pelt out of the room and back down the hall they had originally trekked, hoping that their disguises would at least get them clear of the building without too many delays. Fifteen minutes was hardly generous in a base as big as this one, and much less so if they were forced to engage the members of the Galbadian military on their way out…

* * *

It had been extremely difficult to hold his breath, the very painful throb of his broken leg pulsing with each beat of the heart, but he'd somehow managed to avoid drawing attention to himself. The most difficult had been when the intruders had examined his body for signs of life. The youths didn't bother with checking his pulse, but were more concerned with his breathing or any response garnered from the poking and prodding of his leg. It had taken everything in him not to hiss as they prodded non-too-gently nor to breathe his sigh of relief when they left him alone, satisfied by their findings. Then they'd undressed him and the others, stealing their uniforms and claiming them for their own in an effort to escape the base undetected. That had been pure agony!

It had been luck that had kept them from discovering him still alive and he wasn't willing to waste it, so it was only when he could no longer make out the sounds of their footsteps above the pounding blood between his temples that he finally moved, wincing slightly and biting back the curses hiding behind his lips as he disturbed his leg. He only spared a few moments inspecting the appendage but it was enough to know that it was a complete mess. The SeeD had applied just the right pressure to un-socket the bone from the joint that connected it to the knee, and even her grip had been enough to cause splinters and torn ligaments in the leg itself. There was no way in hell he'd be able to walk on it, and it was a miracle that he was still even conscious from the pain.

But Williamsen bit down on the pain and forced himself to move, propelling himself forward by the force of his arms alone as he crawled the length to the module adjacent his position. Sweat pooled down his forehead from the exertion, falling into squinting eyes and stinging them as they clouded his vision but still he pressed on, the only sounds disturbing the deathly silence that filled the room were his light grunts that betrayed the agony he was in.

He knew for sure that the small girl was a SeeD. If not from the description provided in the report (which now lay in tatters along the ground) but from the sheer strength she'd possessed as she'd broken his leg in a single motion. The other two he could assume were her comrades, the blonde girl and the auburn haired boy somewhat also matching other descriptions of the escapees from the prison. He hadn't been able to see them much during the conflict, but if the brunette was a SeeD, it probably wasn't a far off bet to assume that they were too.

He finally reached the control module and with strength he didn't believe he possessed anymore he managed to pull himself up onto the console, biting back another pained curse as he shifted his leg. Making sure that most of his weight was balanced between the console and his good leg, he set about to work, disregarding the panic that tried to rise up when his vision swam.

He had no hopes of getting out alive, especially not with his leg in the condition it was. He could barely move as it were and even if he managed to get someone to help him limp his ass out, he still wouldn't make it. His stomach had risen to his throat when he watched the trio locate the self-destruct and he'd realized that stopping the missiles has just been a part of the job. It would be pointless for them to stop the launch and leave the base standing for another potential attempt, they seemed to know well enough that they would have to blow it up and doom the workers and soldiers who dwelled inside in order to protect their Garden from destruction.

Williamsen had already accepted the prospect of dying in the line of duty, of dying to defend his country from the enemy. It made what he had to do next a lot easier, knowing that he would be protecting his fellow man and ensuring minimal casualties in the process. His life was forfeit, as were Addams and Grahams', but that didn't mean the body count had to rise.

As much as he would have loved to, there was no chance for him to switch off the self-destruct. The Missile Base was doomed this day, just as he was, and there was no changing that. But he still had enough time to undo what the SeeDs had done. The missiles would launch this day. They would blast out of the base in the last moments before the explosion and would hurl their revenge and retaliation straight to the heart of SeeD. The Sorceress' plans would commence as scheduled and the Missile Base's destruction would serve as a sacrifice well worth the trouble.

Gritting his teeth to stave off the pain, Williamsen entered his code into the console and watched as he was granted access to the system. Thankful that his stolen keycard was not required, he took note of the timer that counted down to the base's destruction, reading less than fifteen minutes before it went up in flames. Slowly with his left hand, the soldier awkwardly keyed in the override password to rescind the abortion order, signalling the launch to commence as scheduled. He hoped the soldiers would find the time to be confused later and would simply follow the order without delay. The missiles were already prepped and ready to go, but it was only a matter of allowing the silos and canisters enough time to prepare before they set off. Five minutes would be more than enough time for it to happen.

And even if the SeeDs suspected something was wrong, they wouldn't be able to act fast enough to stop it.

The last thing he did was access the messaging system the SeeD had used to issue the false order, typing the order to rescind the previous order and to continue as planned before initiating the evacuation sequence. Going for broke, he also keyed in the description of the intruders, uniforms and all. If possible, he wanted the intruders locked up in the base with him when it went up.

This took all of two minutes to accomplish with his off-hand and when the screen flitted that the message had been sent, Williamsen allowed himself to relax against the console, resting his cheek against the dash as the pain began to be too much. He laughed weakly despite his inevitable doom, because he knew the other soldiers would see to it that restitution was exacted. Williamsen had no family to speak of, he wasn't leaving anyone behind to mourn him and he was leaving this world with no regrets.

His gaze shifted slightly to the bodies of Graham and Addams, bereft of all clothes aside from their undershirts and shorts. Graham was an asshole and a bullying fuck, but even he didn't deserve an end like this. He would miss the prick Commander bearing down on him and acting like he had own the place, but in the end he wasn't a terrible boss.

But when his thoughts shifted to Addams, an immense sorrow filled him. Addams had only just recently been promoted and transferred to the base, and he bit back another curse as he recalled the man's jovial announcement a few days before. His wife was due to give birth to their first child within the next week, and would have to live with the prospect of losing the third piece of their starting family.

But despite the hardships and sorry those they left behind would feel, Graham, Addams and himself would all be hailed heroes for their efforts. They would not be faulted for the loss of Galbadia's pride and joy, because there had been nothing they could have done to prevent it. But their mission would be a success and the Sorceress' War – such as it would be – would come about. Garden itself didn't stand a chance and the world would soon be faced with the extinction of SeeD.

"Long live the Sorceress," Williamsen managed to wheeze out before losing consciousness as his body succumbed to the shock of his broken leg.

* * *

With the klaxons blaring no one could hear the pounding of footfalls as soldiers and workers scrambled to escape the building. Staff Sergeant Bradley Sheer was one of those soldiers, moving as fast as his legs would carry him as he raced for the exit, the door sliding open barely fast enough to let him pass. Within minutes, he was breathing the fresh air of the outdoors, the cool night air causing the sweat to cling to skin, making it feel moist and clammy.

When the self-destruct announcement had cut across the speakers, security had jumped into action almost as quickly as the personnel within. They'd cracked open the front gate as wide as it could get and even as he ran out onto the grounds, he could see the service vehicles that had been parked uniformly speeding a line out of the base. Anyone without a vehicle or who was just too damned concerned with getting out alive were double-timing it on foot, hoping to clear the explosion.

He was just about to follow suit when he felt his microcomputer vibrate along his forearm, drawing his attention. It was a matter of seconds to log in and when he did the new message flitted across the screen, causing him to pull to a sudden stop. This forced soldiers, janitors and other workers to push past him in their rush to escape. For once, he paid them no mind, ignoring them as he re-read the message, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He cursed loudly when he realized he wasn't, barely restraining himself from flinging the contraption from his forearm and into the adjacent wall.

He had originally suspected a drill when the alarms sounded, but when he realized that even the most senior of soldiers had no clue what was going on, his thoughts had turned south, and he'd believed that someone had somehow managed to infiltrate the base. But knowing that it was SeeD made his gut clench and his lip curl. They had been the ones to send the previous abortion message and they had more than likely been the ones to set up the self-destruct. How could they have fallen for such a mediocre trick? That was what drills were for, but apparently they meant shit all.

He didn't know how SeeD had found out about the Missile Launch, but the fact that they knew it at all meant they were compromised. He contemplated an accomplice somehow in the base, but doubted that SeeD would even need it. If they needed to get in somewhere, they normally depended on themselves rather than leveraging people who were already in place. And they were resourceful enough to take out the three heads of the base command, and were currently in the process of escaping while in uniform.

That last face really galled him, twisting and contorting his features into a scowl so fierce it actually unsettled one of the janitors who had pushed passed him, forcing the poor man to back up and trip over his own feet. He was barely able to regain his balance as he scurried away, looking back at the staff sergeant over his shoulder as though hoping he hadn't offended.

He growled deep in his throat like a dog preceding a bark. Coming from a long line of jarheads, he was loyal to his country to a fault and had spent the last twenty-two years of his life in servitude to the Galbadian forces. It would be a mistake to say that he was insulted by the turn of events and an even bigger one should someone be fool enough to do so anywhere in his vicinity, particularly at this point in time.

But the staff sergeant wasn't stupid. He knew the government fucked up once in a while, but he knew that no government was perfect. In his less-than-humble opinion, the minor things were usually the ones that didn't matter, the ones the people could afford to have swept under the rug and not know about. He sure as hell didn't doubt that the men and women who made this country run knew exactly what they were doing, that it was their job to make the decisions that would normally fly right over any other person's head. Ultimately, he trusted them completely and unconditionally to do the right thing and so far they had yet to let him down when it counted.

SeeD made a horrible mistake in messing with the Missile Base, the only means for Galbadia to combat their enemies in the East. Esthar hadn't gotten away with their actions during the previous war, and SeeD was sure as hell not getting away with blowing up the one place that had made Galbadia a force to be reckoned with. It was unacceptable to do so and he would not tolerate anyone saying otherwise.

Turning around on the spot, his sharp eyes searched over the faces of the uniformed men and women passing him by. Spotting two familiar faces, he whistled shrilling and barked orders for them to move towards him. They did so without hesitation, more than likely noting Sheer's reputable temper at being forced to wait.

The two soldiers stood before him within seconds as the group of people began to thin out, both saluting their superior before falling into an attentive stance. Both soldiers were outfitted in the same camouflage gear as him, though Peters' skin was dark while Rogers' was an olive complexion.

He had selected these two in particular because he knew they were soldiers who did what they were told without question. They were cut from the same cloth as him and, if given the right amount of time, would probably be just as good in their career. Eventually.

"Peters, Rogers," he said, indicated to each of them with a nod of the head. "Come with me. We're dealing with the intruders personally."

Both reacted as he had expected them to. Falling out of their stance without orders, the gawked at him like a couple of hillbillies from the boonies. He could tell from their body language that they were alarmed and it was fear that was plainly written in their features. "What? But sir…!" Exclaimed Rogers.

"The base's about to explode around our heads!" Peters finished when Rogers was unable to say anything further. "We should get out, live to fight another day!"

"If we don't do something, then that's exactly what these SeeDs will do!" Sheer said, scoffing as their features slackened further. "They're descriptions are on this," he lifted his arm and indicated the microcomputer. "They're currently trying to escape wearing the uniforms of your superiors, the men who were charged with the running of this base! Are you two willing to just allow the enemy of Galbadia to escape and 'live to fight another day'?"

The pair exchanged grim glances between one another but he knew they needed no further convincing. Knowing what he did about them, he had come to respect them out of the sorry sack of shit pussies he'd been forced to work with. They were loyal to their country, almost as much as he was, and almost as willing to die for the greater good of their country. They weren't about to allow SeeD to trample all over their accomplishments of their honour, and he knew it.

Even now they returned their gaze towards their superior officer, their faces still betraying their fear though there was now a resigned quality about it, like they realized they had no other option. There was also anger in their gaze, it was barely visible amongst the previous expressions, but it was still there. They were ready to fight.

As if to cement this, Peters swallowed thickly before nodding. "What are we doing about it, sir?"

"Get the Iron Clad out here," Sheer said. "Bring it out in front of the gate when all our men are clear. Shouldn't take more than five minutes to do."

Both Rogers and Peters saluted and ran off as Sheer watched them both follow his orders. He smiled grimly, knowing that the enemy would not get away alive despite knowing that it would cause all of theirs to ensure it.

* * *

_More changes! _

_I thought it'd be nice to add another scene with Biggs and Wedge, specifically since the next time we see those two clowns is in Disk 3. I also get the impression that, no matter what Biggs plans to do, Wedge usually follows, so I thought I'd emphasize this point. It makes sense to me, even if all he does is boss Wedge around. Also, the mantle being passed on is my reference to Final Fantasy VII's Crisis Core. The reference specifically revolves around the Buster Sword Cloud starts off with in 7. For those of you who haven't played CC yet, I suggest you do so; it's a decent game, and much better than DoC. _

_Of course I had to have the soldiers think something was up with the rescinded order. Even if they had the soldier's credentials, I doubt they would have had access to the shut off controls; that would probably have been something the real soldiers would have had, and they didn't exactly have the time to search around. And again I always thought it was strange that no one else ever thought the rescinded order was strange, especially taking into account that the preparations probably took a long time. If I was a Galbadian soldier, I'd have been furious that I'd been forced to work for nothing. _

_Finally Sheer. Sheer was created to be the ultimate loyal dog to the Government. Doesn't matter who's in charge; to him, they're there for a reason and they know what they're doing ultimately, and it's not up to everyone else to question those directives. The reason I created him as that is because someone would have to be humongously loyal to want to stay behind and prevent the SeeD threat from escaping, even if it's unlikely that he'll make it out because of it. That makes him incredibly loyal and stupid in my books, thus the birth of the character Sheer. _

_Hope you enjoyed those changes, and I look forward to your respective comments in your reviews. _


	19. Chapter XVII: Ground Zero

**Edited: **_06/24/10_

* * *

**Chapter XVII:  
Ground Zero**

* * *

The alarm continued to blare its loud and dull tones throughout the empty base, its sounds echoing off the walls rooms, hallways and corridors bereft of the soldiers and employees who would normally fill them. The monitors within base command continued to count down, the automated voice alerting its lacking audience of the time left to evacuate the building. The numbers on the monitor reached the ten minute marker before shifting past it into the single figure minutes.

Meanwhile something else activated within the confines of the Missile Loading Bay. All three missile launchers, a mundane brown coloured tank-like object filled with four pentagonal shaped silos, shifted in their positions beneath the floorboards of the room in preparation of rising up from their confines and springing up towards ground level. Housed within each silo were black coloured missiles with what would be considered wings attached to them at first glance. Along the first were three vertical lines that stretched from the tip of the missile's nose to the back end where the afterburner was located, with exotic red lines encompassing the white. It looked rather extravagant for an object that was only meant to blow up.

The contents of the missiles themselves were shells filled with nitro-glycerine, kept in check by a magical field that a contained dispel could remedy. The spell, trapped inside of a stone that was attached to the outer shell, was set to go off once the missiles were within a mile radius of the targeted area. They flew at a speed of 1400 MPH, and the heads of the missiles were designed to burrow through reinforced buildings or structures with higher defensive properties and detonate within. Because of the super sonic booms that occurred with the nature of the speed, they flew at an altitude of 60,000 feet in the air, just below the iodosphere.

Located between the wings and along the ridge and narrowed down to a point was a red sphere with what looked to be a cat's iris positioned in the centre. The eye stared unblinkingly at the metallic wall surrounding it, almost as if it were inoperable. Behind the unblinking eye it began to receive a download of its trajectory as the missile launch abort was rescinded.

Around the missiles, the launchers rose up from their compartments, continuing the climb in altitude. The sounds around the silo suggested they were rising up above the ground before the missile launchers tilted in a direction – North, North East according to the computer's directional systems.

The inside of the chamber to the launcher glowed suddenly as the thrusters of each missile began to spew energy into the darkened silo. The bottom of the silos retracted and instantly a wall of white hot heat blasted into the sand of the desert, forming a sheet of solid glass as the Silicon nature of the desert bed reacted.

With the missiles firing their thrust into the ground, the launchers were locked in place by huge pistons which gripped tightly to the titanium circular base plates that supported them. The glass floor – created by the initial engaging of thrust – deflected the flame over the base plates as the main thrust kicked in.

In only half a second, the missiles had gained just enough thrust before they were shot out of the launcher ruthlessly. The sublime aero-foiling of the projectile eradicated the turbulence that would have otherwise taken place as the missiles scythed through the heat and haze of the desert around the base. The initial speed was easily 512 MPH, designed as such so that it would be able to reach the stratosphere before engaging its main afterburners.

Within a minute, the missiles had cleared the clouds and entered into the unspoiled eternity of the sky above the troposphere. Beneath the missiles were blankets of clouds that rolled unchecked across the entire horizon. The missiles, uninhabited by the human condition of awe, ignored what was a breathtaking view and began to follow their trajectory, the angle of the missiles declining from the original forty-five degree arc towards the more stable twenty degrees.

3000 miles away, their target waited.

* * *

At the sight of the missiles taking to the sky, leaving white vapour in their wake, Selphie felt the strength in her legs leave her and she sank to the ground, feet tucked behind her rear end. Grief-stricken, she was unable to fathom just how the launch could've happened, especially when they'd gone to great steaks to shut it off and set the self-destruct so there wouldn't be enough time for anyone to run back and start them up again.

Behind her, Irvine swore loudly at the sight of the missiles. Were he wearing his cowboy hat, it would have probably found its way to the ground in his fit. Quistis had fallen silent, no doubt as shocked as she at the sight of their operation crumbling around their ears. If Zell had been present, the brawler would have most definitely started punching the ground preceding a temper tantrum of epic proportions. Selphie would've most definitely joined in.

But as it stood, she could only sit there on the ground, bowing with her arms resting against the gravel beneath her as she wondered just what went wrong, how their perfect plan and escape had fallen to pieces. Who had they left inside the base with enough time to start up the missiles again?

Instantly her thoughts fell upon one of the three soldiers, the one whose leg she had broken so easily and this time she was the one throwing curses into the wind, pouring all of her hurt, her anger and pain into the profane word. It echoed back to her as it spread about into the heavens and instead of feeling better she felt about a hundred times worse. Why hadn't they thought to finish him off? Why had they simply assumed he had been dead and unworthy of their attention?

It was a costly mistake, one that would be paid with the blood of the inhabitants of Balamb Garden in addition to Trabia.

_I'm sorry, _she sent out mentally, conveying her regret and her pain towards each and every person who would die because of this oversight_. I'm so, so, sorry!_

"It may not be over just yet," Quistis spoke at great length, though her words were shaky and hollow, almost as though she failed to believe in them herself. Like all of them she feared this blunder had cost them the lives of those whom they'd strove to save, to protect from the fury of the Sorceress. "The error ratio, remember? I set it as high as I possibly could. There's still a chance the Garden may get away unscathed in the attack. The casualties should be reduced significantly."

Despite how uncertain the tone had been, the words were enough to snap Selphie out of her grief, the tears that had begun to run its course along her cheeks causing damp streaks to line her face. The realization that Quistis might be right, that there was still a chance they might very well avoid the missile attacks without so much as trying helped to lift her spirits, knowing that the missiles were less likely to hit the wide side of a barn let alone a massive Garden. Squall and the others were also on their way back to the Garden to evacuate it if not save it, giving the rest of SeeD a fighting chance.

This was enough to lend strength to the petit SeeD and she forced herself back up onto her feet as she wiped at her face, erasing all traces of her despair seconds ago. With a deep breath, she propelled herself forward, eliciting shocked exclamations from her teammates before their footfalls echoed her own against the concrete pavement and they were running as fast as their legs could carry them to the front of the base, to where freedom awaited them.

But as they drew nearer and nearer, Selphie caught sight of an increasingly large object that most definitely hadn't been around when they'd first arrived. It was dark blue and looked like it had been an old tank with a brand spanking new polished exterior. Three tall spires that reminded the girl of chimneys spouted out from either side of the machine, billowing smoke up into the air to mingle with the clouds above their heads. A red circle decorated the very front and center of the monster, though within this circle looked suspiciously like a barrel to a gun though much larger in scale, the sight not boding well for her. Beneath that was a machine gun beneath the undercarriage, though it looked like one of the older models that revolved whenever it opened fire with a spray of bullets.

If it was a monster, it was intimidating. If it was a machine, it was still a sight to behold.

And, unfortunately, it was standing in the way of their escape.

* * *

Staff Sergeant Sheer grinned in anticipation as he caught sight of the intruders. The blue and red jumpsuits of the superiors who'd run this building always stood out in stark contrast to the pale camouflage suits of the remainder of the soldiers. As much of a disgrace the intruders had caused by wearing the uniforms, it made them all the more easily distinguishable.

It hadn't taken long for Peters and Rogers to follow his order, and within minutes the Iron Clad had been moved into position in front of the Gate. Purposefully, he had steered the controls so they had a perfect view of the intruders when they eventually made their way towards them. They'd spotted them the moment they'd left the building and had watched as they'd stopped momentarily when the missiles were launched. Sheer didn't fool himself with thoughts or illusions of escaping before the base was blown to shit, especially when he considered who it was he was facing. Despite his upcoming death, Sheer had no intention whatsoever of allowing the enemy to escape.

The Iron Clad was the perfect instrument for this particular job. Originally code named BGH251F2, it had gained its nickname due to the impenetrable outer shell that was made entirely of adamantium. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion would even cause a dent. Placed in the centre of the outer plate at the very front was a tri-barrelled spinning cannon, designed to continuously shoot but without the recoil that would have otherwise dragged the line of fire away from where the pilot aimed it. The rounds themselves were crafted like the missiles to be aero-foiled to prevent drag. Their tips were coated in a high explosive tetra-Carbon compound. It would detonate on impact due to the sparks of the metal casing surrounding it.

The weapons would look like lasers to those from a distance since the bullets were elongated and very narrow, more like a blip of a polygraph test instead of the traditional wide and curved nature of a rifle shot. The speed at which the rounds would blast out of the chamber was enough to tear through concrete, and would cause any human target to explode upon impact.

Inside of the tank, Sheer and his men sat at their stations. Peters was sitting at the very front as he controlled the Iron Clad's movements while Rogers kept an eye on the diagnostic systems to the right. Sheer himself had complete control over the array of weapons in his arsenal from the back in a seat that was set up to look down upon his comrades. This he had no problem doing, as he had done just this throughout his career, though he had other matters to focus on presently. Sheer grinned ferally at the enemy through the fixed vision of the periscope that was positioned in his sights. The periscope was a thin looking tube with prism set panels set at an angle of 45 degrees. It had a line between each of them, causing whatever was being viewed from the top to flip down into the line and bounce back out to be spied by the person viewing it from below. The line held a mirror which allowed for the image to be viewed normally as opposed to upside down, which was what would have actually happened.

The SeeDs currently stood in his line of vision almost apprehensively, wearily as they eyed the machine somewhat suspiciously. He could tell all of this from their stance that they were confused but on their guard. He was thankful for the periscope, since it was near impossible to see through the screen in front of Peters. Not only was the other soldier in the way, but the size of the window was also a factor. The periscope was also handy for aiming as the Iron Clad could only shoot in a straight line due to its bulkiness, but the enemy didn't need to know this.

Sheer's grin widened in anticipation, knowing that there would be little for the enemy to do to stop them from blasting them into a pulp. Eager to begin, he pressed a couple of buttons along the armrest of his chair, initiating the weapon controls. He was going to immensely enjoy this…

* * *

Out from the central red circle emerged three circular shapes that were, at first, indiscernible. They were fixed at an angle that told her they were its intended targets, and she wasn't looking forward to finding out just what she had become the target of. Just as she was thinking of this and preparing to dodge out of the line of fire, she was stopped by shock as she spotted Selphie dropping low into a crouch, what was unmistakably an attempt at standing up to the attack.

Reflexes taking over, the former instructor immediately leapt towards her comrade and knocked her down, sending the both of them onto the hard ground as the object sailed over their heads and hit behind them. Nearby, having dodged to the right, the sharpshooter raised his right arm and unleashed fury from the grafted submachine gun. She assumed that, no matter how good a shooter he was, not even he could hit a target that was moving as quickly as it was, but he proved her wrong. Even without junctions lending speed to his attacks, she watched as one of the concussive bullets blasted into its target, stopping its movements and causing it to explode right between the machine and the three teenagers.

Ducking down and shielding her head from the debris and the bright reds, yellows and whites from the explosion that would have blinded them had she been so inclined to continue watching it, she was surprised as the shockwave blasted into the ground beneath them, rocking them violently from a mini explosion that had followed shortly after the primary one. When she felt brave enough to look up, she spotted generous sized craters that had formed seemingly from nowhere.

Unfortunately she had no time to think about it. The machine opened fire with the machine gun in the undercarriage, blasting at them with such concussive force it would have torn apart metal. Irvine dodged and rolled so that he was behind the blonde SeeD, who had by then raised a protective shield in front of them that took all the hits that would have riddled them apart. Out of reflex, they all crowded behind it, the roaring _pings _and_ tinks _almost making conversation impossible_._

"I was gonna do _that _with the projectile," Selphie pouted reproachfully.

Quistis made a very unladylike snort at the declaration. "That attack would have blown you to bits, Protect Spell or not. Take a look behind me if you don't believe me."

Selphie did just this and her jaw dropped upon taking in the damages to the gravel around them.

"Well of _course _they blew ta shit," Irvine shouted over the gunfire. "They're grenades. Probably coated with some highly volatile stuff ta pack an extra punch. Dental records couldn't identify ya after bein' hit by one of those."

Quistis turned just to register Selphie's expression after the declaration, only to discover that the younger girl had seemingly not heard the rest of his explanation. She couldn't have, since she was wearing an expression of excitement. "Wait a sec! _They've _got a_ grenade launcher _in there?"

Irvine nodded and Quistis suddenly recalled just how new to the battlefield Selphie was. Most rookies would be infinitely aware of the danger they were in, though still making mistakes that were liable to get them killed. On occasion though, there had been SeeDs with enough confidence in their skills to fool themselves into believing they could handle the situation. Selphie appeared to have created her own category as her eyes widened in surprise at the knowledge of such weapons being used on them. Pumping a fist into the air – almost out of reach of the Protect Spell – the younger girl cheered loudly, the sound almost lost to the enemy fire. "I want one!"

Immediately irritated, Quistis shook her head before throwing a reproachful look at the girl. "Can we just concentrate on staying—?"

But she didn't get a chance to finish her question, because at that very moment the shield failed and a bullet that had not yet been disintegrated or deterred by the protective magic continued on its course, though just lashing out and grazing her arm. Quistis winced in response and reached up reflexively to staunch the blood flow. Irvine didn't stop to inspect the wound, instead returning fire with the submachine gun while Selphie retaliated with a thunder spell. The bullets blasted off the front of the armour of the tank while the thunder spell seemed not to even connect, like there was some kind of barrier surrounding the machine that repelled the paramagic and dispersed it altogether.

Then they were forced to split up as three more flying projectiles were sent their way, Irvine falling left, Selphie jumping to the right while Quistis simply hit the floor and ducked. Frowning thoughtfully, she realized that the Galbadians had coated the tank with a kind of alloy that was resistant to any form of paramagic attack. It was the same kind of alloy they had used against the Esthar forces during the Sorceress war, and they must've thought to bring it out in the fight against SeeD.

Cursing lightly at their predicament, Quistis pulled her right hand along her left arm, resting it above her stinging injury as she concentrated on her spell. Seconds later, she allowed her hand to drop and, through the slit formed in the sleeve of the Galbadian uniform, she could see the wound begin to close, the bleeding having stopped.

_Regen, what would I do without you? _She mentally mused before turning her attention back towards the situation. She had to find adequate cover if she wanted to stay alive for more than a few seconds, and then it was a matter of figuring out a weak point to take advantage of from the tank. Normally thunder spells were the way to go but with that alloy covering the entirety of the tank, their spells wouldn't connect.

Looking around, she frowned as she took in her surroundings. There wasn't a damned thing she could use as a means of cover, and she quietly cursed the large and open space that was the Missile Base's parking lot. But then she noticed something strange. She could see Selphie still attacking the tank, throwing spell after spell even though the paramagic washed off it like water. The smaller girl would leap back when it opened fire with its machine gun, or dodge and jump whenever a grenade was shot in her direction. Her movements were keeping the tank's eyes on her, though unlike the machine Quistis realized she couldn't see Irvine anywhere.

Or so she couldn't right away. As she continued to search for the sharpshooter, she spotted a flicker of light hit across something metal from the right but when she turned to look, the sight had disappeared. Moments later though, the sharpshooter rose up seemingly out from the ground and opened fire at the metal construct before ducking back down again. Surprisingly enough, it seemed like Irvine was doing a major amount of damage to the machine, the blast of bullets impacting against the armour and causing dents to permeate the exterior that were only visible to her junctioned eyesight.

But even more impressive was the realization that he was not simply rising up from out of the ground, but utilizing one of the large craters that had formed from the impacted grenades as a trench.

_Irvine, you're a genius, _Quistis mused before resolving to never admit this fact to the sharpshooter. He would never allow her to live it down if he had learned of the admission and she had no intention whatsoever to give him any ideas.

But for now, she shook herself of such thoughts before looking around for a makeshift trench of her own. The one Irvine was utilizing seemed, at this distance, too small to hold the both of them, and it would be better to split up an attack the tank from different angles as opposed to do so from a single direction. Spotting one just a few meters behind, Quistis picked herself up off the ground and made a run for it, throwing looks over her shoulder as she monitored Selphie's progress. Because of the diminutive SeeD's actions, the tank was adequately distracted, but there was no telling how much longer Selphie would be able to hold out.

But just a few feet from her prize, Selphie's clumsiness led to her undoing. She skidded to dodge another blast from the tank's machinegun, but tripped up in the meantime and lost her footing from underneath her. Landing hard on her back, the smaller girl winced before propping herself up on her elbows, though that was all the time she had to do because the tank's grenade launcher came back to life and prepared to open fire.

Both girls noticed the tanks actions at once and while Selphie shielded herself from an attack that would surely rip her to pieces, Quistis threw her arm out before drawing it back in, watching as wings sprouted out from the girl's shoulder blades. The next thing Selphie knew, she was being propelled backwards, the lose grenade hitting the spot she had been lying at seconds prior and the force of the explosion propelling her even further back as she screamed the entire time. As Quistis leapt into the crater she had spotted seconds prior, Selphie had been propelled into it and the former instructor allowed the float spell to disperse.

Instead of looking perturbed or even thankful, Selphie clapped her hands giddily, like a young child who'd just been amazed at a magic trick. "Let's do it again!"

"You better start taking this seriously," Quistis snapped, at the end of her patience. She attempted to sneak a peek over the edge of the crater. "This is _your _mission, remember?"

"I know that!" Selphie said indignantly. "And I _am _taking this seriously!"

Quistis rolled her eyes in response before both of them ducked down again to avoid being assailed by automatic fire. She huffed in her frustration, hating being pinned down as they were. There was a good thing about the constant blast of gunfire in their direction though that made it worthwhile. Quistis was starting to discern a pattern of attack. The machine appeared to be too bulky to make any quick manoeuvres and it took its time trailing its targets, allowing them plenty of time to dodge and hide. This oversight would force the machine to shoot straight if it had any hopes of hitting its target. While the grenade launcher was far more gracious when it came to its aim, it seemed only capable of shooting three rounds before it would be forced to reload, at which point the tank would compensate by blasting out with its machinegun.

Whoever was driving was decidedly attempting to alternate the attacks so no one would possibly notice. But the longer they stayed fighting, the easier it was to discern a pattern and Quistis had always had a keen eye for detail. The machine gun itself would only be able to shoot until it ran out of ammunition, and the spurts of gunfire would thin out when that happened. _That _would be their opening.

Unfortunately, with the self-destruct imminent, they did not have the luxury of time to wait for that to happen. They would have to strike before then if they had any hopes of survival.

"So…" Selphie asked from beside her. The smaller girl had her hands thrown up over her head as a protective measure, mostly caused by reflex. "Whatcha thinkin' about? You've got that look on your face."

"What look?" Quistis asked before she could stop herself. Before Selphie could answer though, she shook her head and interrupted her. "Never mind, we don't have the time. I think I've thought of a way to end this, but we've got to act very quickly. When I give the signal, you summon Ifrit. Don't ask questions," because Selphie had opened her mouth to say something, "but tell Irvine the plan and tell him to do whatever it takes to keep those grenades off of us."

"That won't work if it's got a computer thinking for it," Selphie managed to get out as the former instructor took a breath. The look in her features told Quistis that that was the last possible thing she would want to happen. She didn't know what exactly, but she ignored the sight, at least for now.

"If it's an AI you're worried about, I doubt that this is the case," Quistis answered. "It's movements are far too slow and uncalculated, and the manoeuvring behind the machine is too clumsy, too awkward. An Artificial Intelligence would've been able to overcome the cumbersome movements of the tank and attack us without a problem."

"So you think there's a driver?" Selphie asked in wide-eyed wonder.

Quistis nodded in response, but before she could add anything, she heard what sounded like an exhaust of a car sputtering and an instant later, a circular object was falling over their heads.

"Scramble!" Selphie shouted just as she and Quistis sprang into action. Scrambling out of the trench, they were still caught by the explosion as the grenade detonated, forcing them even further apart. The former instructor fell hard atop her left side as the momentum of the explosion forced her to the ground, where she rolled until she was lying flat on her stomach. It was far from comfortable and when she took a second to check her arm, she was relieved to discover that it was not broken. She was also thankful that she wasn't wearing her glasses as the backlash from the blast would've most definitely rendered them into scrap metal.

Managing to pull herself up into a squatting position, she looked up just in time to see the machine gun whirl and jumped back just before it opened fire. The bullets lashed out along the ground in front her and followed her in a straight line as she backed away in an attempt to get out of the range of fire. Noting another trench was coming up behind her from her peripheral vision, she quickly ducked into it and threw her arms up over her head as the gunfire sailed right past her.

Hissing out another curse, Quistis scowled to herself, realizing that at this rate they were all dead. Checking her watch for a split second before the gunfire continued, she realized, with rising dread, that they only had five minutes to vacate the premises or else they would be caught in the explosion that was sure to kill them. But then the gunfire suddenly stopped and just when the former instructor was about to rise up onto her feet, she heard the same blast that preceded the grenade launcher and looked up with a start, knowing that the machine would be aiming for all three of them as it had been throughout the fight.

But as the grenade neared her location and she was preparing to leap out of harm's way, another concussive blast intercepted the object, causing it to explode midair and force the girl back into the trench. Debris from its outer shell rained about the place and when she was able to stand up without threat of harm, she spied them littering the area around her. The action had been instantaneous and yet it felt like it had been the longest second of her life before all the shrapnel had cleared the air. By the time she realized what had happened, the other two grenades had met the same fate.

Left to blink in stupid amazement, Quistis watched as the sharpshooter ducked back down into his trench, holding the rifle he had been using prior to the theft of the uniforms. Apparently, it seemed as though either he'd run out of ammo for the submachine gun or he was just more comfortable shooting with the original weapon. Either way, he was holding the attention of the attacking tank captive and he ducked back down into the trench to avoid being cut down by the automatic fire it blasted at him.

"Now Quisty! Selphie shouted as she leapt out of the trench Irvine had ducked into. More than likely she had used the opportunity to fill him in on what they were planning. Quistis wasted no time prying herself out from her own trench and concentrated on the cold, allowing the element to encompass her. Her timing had to be just right, just a little bit before Selphie had summoned Ifrit, if she wanted to give the added punch they would need…

* * *

"What the _fuck _is this shit?" Sergeant Sheer roared loudly from where he was sitting.

So used to the man barking orders at the top of his voice, Peters barely even twitched at the sudden shout. But he was surprised by the sight of one of the intruders – wearing the red jumpsuit of Commander Graham – opening fire with a simple looking rifle and blasting apart the three grenades they had just shot out of the sky like he was shooting moving targets at a firing range. He cursed the lucky shots (because there was no way even the most experienced of shooters could possibly get three shots in a row) and scowled, knowing that it was going to take the Sergeant time to reload. While that happened, he was just going to have to prime the machine gun and hope for the best. They had plenty of ammunition to hold them over, so all they had to do was stall until the big bang commenced.

He wasn't particularly thrilled that he was going to die, and he'd never figured that this was the way he was going to checkout. When he'd first enlisted in the military, he'd figured he would visit other nations, mostly conduct patrols as he learned the lay of the land. He didn't doubt that he would have encounters with SeeD, what with them meddling in their operations, and he'd almost been looking forward to testing his prowess against the mercenary force. He'd assumed with the way things were going it would be inevitable to have to fight the soldiers of the neighbouring countries (well, country) to boot. He hadn't had a problem doing that, knowing that it was part of the job and all. But he'd expected to go out in a battle, guts hanging out of him as he bled to death trying to take out the enemy for the glory of Galbadia.

But his thoughts of travel had been put on the backburner when he'd been stationed at the Missile Base. He'd been there for three years now since having enlisted, and while the routine was dull, he'd envisioned that guarding Galbadia's most pride weapon was something of an honour. Then SeeD had shown up and everything had gone to shit.

As he reminisced, he found that he would have much rather die out on the battlefield in the most gruesome and time consuming way than to be locked up in the Missile Base when it blew up. So when Sergeant Sheer provided Peters and Rogers with their orders, he had been reluctant but he hadn't argued much. He was just glad he was able to do something.

But now, the guy in the trench with the rifle had shot out all their grenades and he Sergeant was ordering him to turn the Iron Clad so it was facing the asshole. But just as they were manoeuvring the clumsy ox into position, Peters noticed the two blue-clad soldiers climbing out of their trenches. Too late the stop the Iron Clad as it turned into position, he could only watch in horror as two strange figures appeared out of nowhere near the exact same time. The first, an attractive looking woman with long blonde hair and blue skin, rose up out the ground while the second, a red-furred giant beast of a man who looked like he'd been dropped out of the sky, hitting the ground in a crouch.

They didn't allow him the opportunity to get a better look, because almost immediately after their feet touched solid ground they leapt into action. The woman threw her arms out in front of her and seconds later a blast of blue flowed straight towards them. Peters would've attempted to move the Iron Clad out of the line of fire if it weren't for its lack of manoeuvrability. With it in the middle of moving already, it was damn near impossible to avoid the attack so instead they took it head on. Instead of the explosion he had expected, however, the blast seemed to wrap itself all about the tank, and the window in front of Peters frosted over. He breathed a sigh in relief that he was at least still alive, and was shocked to find that he could see his breath, a mist of steam that hit the suddenly chilled air about him.

"Evasive manoeuvres!" Sergeant Sheer shouted. The _clickity-clack _that sounded from behind told the soldier of his superior's attempts at utilizing the weapon controls. He was fairing about as well as he was at evading the attack.

Speaking of which… "Good luck! They ain't working!" Even as he spoke, he was trying to rectify the problem, though if they were iced over it was highly unlikely the controls would respond to his command.

A barked curse was the only response he received for his efforts before Sheer was barking orders. "Rogers!"

"We're ice-cubes, sir." Rogers' response was quick and stopped the Sergeant before he could proceed with his inquiries. The same _clickity-clack _that sounded from the Sergeant's position came from Rogers' location as well. No doubt he was trying to find a means of reversing he effect. "That last attack froze us solid."

Peters was barely able to reign in his snort. He could've told them both _that _with a simple glance from his window. He didn't need the computer to tell him something his eyes could discern for themselves.

Turning his attention back to the window in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the enemy, he spotted the beast-man as he dropped down onto all fours, the strange woman having already made her exit during the confusion. Peters really didn't want to find out just what he was planning though, but it was unfortunate that he didn't have a choice.

"Brace yourselves for impact!" Peters shouted in warning just as the he-beast opened his mouth. As he strapped himself into his seat, he watched as a blast of red was expelled from the monsters mouth as he breathed onto the Iron Clad. It could've been fire for all he knew, because the interior temperature suddenly skyrocketed, causing sweat to pool along his forehead beneath his helmet. Within seconds he was like a broiling pig in an oven, the material of his uniform sticking to his skin.

"We gotta get outta here!" Peters shouted as he turned to regard Rogers. He saw from his position (admittedly it wasn't exactly very far) that the readouts on the screen in front of the other soldier were going haywire from the heat. Sparks flew from beneath the keyboard as a result, causing the other soldier to jump and wince.

"We can't let 'em seize this MRV!" Sergeant Sheer practically snarled back. A glance behind him was enough to tell Peters that his superior's shirt was already caked with sweat. "Diagnostic report!"

It wasn't a request, and both Rogers and Peters knew it. Rogers whirled around in his chair to face the Sergeant. "The internal temperature in this thing is rising fast. It's only a matter of time before we start suffering the effects of dehydration. From the last attack alone, we lost half of our exhaust inputs. That's more than what this thing needs to run on. Peters' is right sir, honour or not, we need to get the hell outta here while we still can!"

"What about the controls?" Sheer barked. Clearly he was like a dog who had his jaws set around an enticing chew toy. He wasn't about to let it go anytime soon.

"We're not frozen anymore, so the controls are responsive again," Rogers answered. "But—"

Unfortunately, whatever else Rogers had to say was prevented from coming to light. Sheer spoke loudly over the younger soldier who cut himself off when it became evident that no one was listening. "Keep attacking! As long as we can move, we'll fight!"

Peters and Rogers exchanged mirrored worried glances between one another before they returned to their posts, their attentions turning to their respective tasks.

* * *

The plan had failed, that much was certain.

Even as Ifrit made his exit, bursting into flame before the fires threaded out, disappearing into particles of magic, it was obvious. The metal monstrosity that bared their path was still standing, though it was a far cry from its previous glory. The metallic blue had been reduced to a chalky brown as rust had settled in from the brief exposure to the ice of Shiva's attack. Three out of six of the spires that plumed smoke like a billowing chimney exploded once the fire had hit them, the debris shouting in all directions and littering the ground with smouldering scrap metal. No longer did it sit smooth but it rattled and shook like a loose pipe about to rupture. The machine had most definitely seen better days, and Shiva and Ifrit had messed it up good…

…Except that it was _still_ standing_._

The trio of teenagers had been left to stand in exasperated shock before the machine activated its machineguns. While Quistis and Irvine scrambled back into the trench behind them, Selphie found herself out of range of the spray of bullets. Biting her lip, she wondered just how the hell the tank was still standing, let alone shooting at them but she knew she didn't have the time to puzzle it for long. All she knew was they were running out of time, and there just had to be something to stop it for good.

Just as she was about ready to throw caution to the wind and attack with spells, there was a whisper that ran through her mind, kind of like a shudder. She knew it wasn't from Ifrit, he tended to be more gruff and grumpy. This feeling was more like a caress, gentle, _lady like. _With those clues, Selphie determined that the message was being sent by the other Guardian Force tenant she had.

She had first encountered Siren from the blow-bag monster back in Dollet. While they had been fighting, she had felt the presence of the GF fuelling the strength of the monster and had drawn it in a moment of desperation, hoping that it might give them a fighting chance. To this day, Selphie had no idea if it had worked or contributed at all to their survival. What she did know was that the GF had remained silent ever since. There hadn't been so much as a whisper from her and, in all honesty, Selphie had completely forgotten about her presence until this very moment. The only other time she'd remember her at all was during the trip to the Tomb of the Unknown King, where everyone had gone over what they had at their arsenal.

So for Siren to be initiating contact _now _of all times, it had to be something big. Grasping onto that particular thought, she listened with all her might to what Siren had to say. Not used to communicating with this particular GF, she wasn't able to discern the message right away. But slowly, the communication grew louder and clearer, and suddenly Selphie understood what she wanted.

Siren wanted to be summoned.

The realization left the small SeeD thunderstruck. Never having communicated with Siren before, she'd also never actually summoned her either. She had no clue what would happen if she did, whether it would help them or hurt them. But they didn't have the luxury of asking questions and there were no other options to choose from.

And so she focused on Siren's presence. Without knowing what she would do, it made it that much harder to focus, but she willed herself to do so anyway. She knew that it was working when she felt the GF leave the confines of her mind in preparation of stepping into the material plain, and when she opened her eyes (she had shut them tightly as she'd concentrated) she was startled to find another individual standing a few feet in front of her.

Actually, it was more like she was floating, her toes barely touching the ground. Long blonde hair not unlike Shiva's wafted in an inexistent breeze, barely reaching the small of her back as opposed to the backs of her heels. The tips were dyed a deep blue colour, deepening the further it got to the very ends. Her skin was a pale ivory, smooth and flawless, bereft of any imperfections. In fact, almost every inch of her was exposed. Clad in just a yellow bikini-style two-piece bathing suit, it left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Feathers of an assortment of yellows, blues and greens connected the two pieces together from hips to ribs and her feet were bare. It looked as though she were preparing to spend the day at the beach, were it not for the huge green harp that took up the entire length of her back.

Selphie took an awestruck step backward as she took in the GF's appearance for the first time in her life. She hadn't actually known what to expect when she'd finally summoned Siren, but the very sight of her screamed elegance in an exotic kind of way. She was most definitely a figure to be stared at. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or excited, but she was most definitely amazed.

Slowly, almost deliberately, Siren withdrew the harp from its holster and brought it around in front of her to play. Selphie suddenly had the image of the mythical creatures she'd read about in story books, of the beautiful maidens who sat alone on islands, drawing in those who would sail the seas only to watch as their ships crashed into the rocky shores that spelled their doom. Realizing that the Guardian Force might have something similar in mind, she called a warning to her comrades, gesturing for them to duck behind Siren and out of range of whatever she had planned. Both did as told (though Irvine just couldn't do so without stopping to admire the Guardian Force). Seconds later, they – like Selphie – were safely (relatively) behind Siren as she raised her arms, her fingers touching the strings before she began to strum them. The fingers flew across the cords as they plucked the strings, drawing light sounds that flowed into a soothing melody that wasn't at all unpleasant. They began with a soft open note that relaxed her mind, feeling akin to that of a lullaby.

It wasn't until she felt someone shake her shoulder that she realized she'd almost fallen asleep on her feet and when she looked behind her, she spotted both Quistis and Irvine with hands over their ears. Immediately, Selphie followed suit, blocking out the soothing sounds before realizing that this was Siren's effect. Her music caused things to happen to her opponents, namely sleep in this case. It made her wonder what else she could possibly do.

This made Siren a predominantly defensive Guardian Force. Or at least as far as she knew.

Unfortunately for the eye-popping GF, the tank seemed to not be affected by this music like it had almost affected Selphie. The tank suddenly opened fire upon them, and Siren was forced to stop playing her harp. Instead, she threw out her hands, the blasts that would have normally connected being absorbed into the shield she had conjured before dispersing harmlessly into the air. Not even the bits that were normally left after the little projectiles collided with protect spells were present. Selphie wondered if it was some kind of _epic _protect spell and where she could learn how to do it.

Silently reminding herself the difference between Guardian Force magic and her own, Selphie watched as Siren waved her hand in front of her, the spell disappearing from view. But somehow she knew it was still there, could feel it wrapping around her like a blanket, cocooning her with its protection. Beside her, Irvine was searching the area, probably for the cause of the sensation, and while Quistis appeared somewhat surprised, she wasn't completely off-guard. It was a sign that she wasn't going crazy, that they had all felt the same thing.

But then, Selphie became alarmed when she spotted Siren draw in a deep breath.

In addition to the mythical fairy tales she had heard or read when she was a kid, she had also observed the spoiled children who visited the garden – the ones whose parents spoiled them and gave them whatever they wanted to compensate not being around or paying them enough attention. They would scream and cry and shout and throw temper tantrums whenever they didn't get their own way. Selphie was vividly reminded of all those children when she took in the sight of Siren. Her whole stance screamed that she was put out for having her performance interrupted so abruptly.

She knew they were being protected by Siren's magic but Selphie wasn't about to take any chances. Her hands returned to the previous position of covering her ears, though this time she pressed them down as hard as she could, so hard in fact that it felt like her head was in a vice. Somehow, Selphie knew that the slight discomfort was nothing compared to what would happen if she didn't protect her ears from whatever it was Siren had planned...

* * *

When the two Guardian Forces first appeared, he'd been sure that they were goners. Surviving both blasts of cold and heat was a miracle that was solely due to the Iron Clad's presence and defensive capabilities. Almost as quickly as they'd appeared, the pair had disappeared, but now they were facing down a third and with the readings rising off the scale and it taking everything Rogers possessed in him, he didn't think they would be able to survive this next wave.

But what shocked him to the core was the fact that the strange lady – who looked more or less like a contestant at a bikini competition – pulled out a harp and started to play. Somehow, Rogers figured that the sound – whatever it was she was playing – was supposed to be doing something, but inside the Iron Clad they were safe from its affects. The Sergeant had snapped at them, assuming they were gawking at her for a totally different reason, ordering them to open fire on her before she could do her absolute worst.

So Peters had done just that, punching the machinegun to maximum and pelting the whole area with bullets. The strange lady had done something, causing the bullets to disintegrate seconds before they could connect with flesh, but then she drew in a deep breath and suddenly let it out in a scream.

Expecting for the sound to be muted from within the confines of the Iron Clad, he was shocked when the whole tank began to shake from its very foundation. Looking up, he spotted bolts loosening from their sockets, the walls bending and warping almost like they were about to snap. It wasn't just the walls though, everything vibrated. He could feel the chair shaking, the dash in front of him jostling above his knees, almost like he was caught in some supernatural earthquake.

It was then when Rogers realized that her scream wasn't just a scream. It was a sonic emitter.

Before he could call out a warning however, the screen that charted out the Iron Clad's diagnostics went even more off the charts, and he hadn't thought it was possible. An alarm sounded all about them that told him the machine wasn't going to be able to handle any more of this.

"I can't control it, sir!" Peters shouted from where he was sitting. He was pounding his palms against the buttons trying to make the Iron Clad respond to his commands, but even with the effects of the hot and cold having worn off, his efforts weren't having any affect.

"_What_?" Sheer roared in response.

Too bad he didn't have an opportunity to continue his tirade, because Rogers chose that very moment to interrupt. "Peters! The glass!"

Peters immediately turned in front of him but at that very moment, the window in front of the driver was bending from the torture it was enduring from the sonic blast. Seconds later, it exploded and showered the soldier with broken glass and shrapnel that laid in its wake. Fortunately, he had been warned and had thus brought his arms up above his face to shield himself from the worst of it.

But just as Rogers felt relief, there was a sudden pained scream that tore through he sound of shattering glass. It nearly had Rogers shooting up from his seat, but not because it held the anger it normally did. Far from it, there was an underlying fear that had never before been heard from its source.

Turning in his seat to face the direction the sound had come from, he spotted the Sergeant clutching at his face and it took him a moment to realize that it was blood falling from through the gaps of his fingers while the elder man howled in pain from the injuries he had sustained. One look at the scope directly parallel of the injured man was enough to tell the story of how it had happened. The glass panel at the base of the scope had given way because of the vibrations, and scraps of glass and shrapnel had blasted into the man's face. Sergeant Sheer was in some serious and desperate need of medical attention.

Unfortunately for Rogers, he only had a split second to draw up this conclusion before a loud _crush _that was similar to that of an explosion overshot all sound, followed by the high pitched whirl of the sonic blast. The structural integrity of the Iron Clad had kept them protected from the actual sound of the scream itself, but once the windows had gone the sound could no longer be held at bay and it assaulted the trio as it bounced off the metal walls that encased them, making the noise seem louder and louder with each passing second. The tank, which had been their sole means of protection against SeeD, was now a deathtrap and if they wanted to survive, then they would have to escape.

There was no longer any hope for the Sarge. One look to his left provided Rogers with proof of this. The elder soldier had begun to convulse in his chair from the extent of his injuries, his hands having long since dropped from his face and no longer shielded the damage from view. Not only had the glass and shrapnel impacted with his face, but there were large shards that had blasted through his eyes. The force of the injury alone must have reached his brain. The man was done for, and his death would be slow and torturous.

To his right, Peters was screaming at the top of his voice, though the sound itself was drowned out by the level of high frequency noise. Turning, he spotted his comrade twisting and turning as he attempted to escape his seat, the seat belt that was supposed to ensure his continued life being the instrument that kept him stranded towards death. When Rogers tried to rise, he realized he would meet a similar fate, being tied down to his chair and he instantly set to work unbuckling himself. His sight wasn't clear, everything was tinted red and he realized the sound was causing major damage to his own body as well. Wiping at his eyes which were watering horribly, he discovered that it was his own blood he was seeing, that the sonic sound was putting so much pressure to his brain that it was causing him to bleed from every orifice. His ears were leaking the moisture as well, as was his nose.

Drops of the stuff fell onto his lap as his attempts at removing the seat belt became more frantic, his fingers suddenly not wanting to work as they were intended to. In front of him, the readouts of the screen were blinking intermittently. One second they provided the outrageously over extended systems analysis and the next he was greeted by the sight of snow as the screen malfunctioned. His head felt as though it were about to split in half and, abandoning all attempts at freeing himself, he pressed his hands against his ears in the hopes that it would stop the pounding, keeping the two halves of his head whole.

This was why he did not hear the sounds of the screen cracking ahead of him, and when it finally exploded and sent shrapnel flying straight at his head, it came as a blessing, an end to the agony and he mercifully blacked out.

* * *

Time seemed to drag on and it felt like an eternity before she uncovered her ears, only to be greeted with a ringing silence that was eerie and disturbing. Feeling uneasy after having pressed her hands against her head like a vice, it felt like someone had locked it inside a metal chamber and was slowly and methodically turning the screws tighter and tighter, just waiting for the moment where it would pop open like a grapefruit.

Feeling moisture above her lip prompted the girl to lick them, only to spit it out when she tasted copper instead of salt. Wiping the back of her hand against her mouth she was shocked that it came away with blood instead of the sweat she had been expecting. Staring at the back of her palm in shock, she wondered if that scream Siren had made had some kind of sonic property. It would have explained why she was bleeding from her nose. It took a second to realize that her ears were bleeding too, she could feel the moisture leak out of them and down along the side of her neck through her uniform. It was most unpleasant and when she made to take a step, she stumbled, falling over like a stinky old man who'd had too much to drink.

Looking up, she was even more convinced that her theory was correct when she laid eyes on the tank. The injuries she had sustained were nothing in comparison of being directly in the line of fire it would seem and for that she counted herself lucky to even be alive. The tank was smoking, the walls dented and one of the spires was tilted in a way that it shouldn't have been. More importantly, it wasn't rumbling anymore. It wasn't even moving, it was still, calm, silent. Either they busted it up to hell, or whoever inside was not getting back up.

The Guardian Force ahead of her simply flipped her hair over her shoulder as she turned its back on the somehow offensive piece of smouldering debris. She didn't look happy, more like a diva whose show had been interrupted, and she stomped away in a huff before disappearing into a particle of magic.

Selphie made a promise to herself then and there. She would only ever summon Siren as a last resort. She didn't like the idea of bleeding out of her orifices just to win a fight.

Looking behind her, she realized Irvine and Quistis were in full agreement. Both of them were bleeding from their noses and their ears, both having only just discovered this. The former instructor looked mildly surprised when she saw the blood on the back of her hand but the sharpshooter looked panicked and horrified at the sight. "Selphie, what the hell did you do?" He asked, not bothering to mask his terror.

"Good question," Selphie said before whistling at the sight of the tank.

"Well, the questions can wait," Quistis said quietly. She wrung her hand out as though to remove the access blood but it wasn't a successful attempt. "We need to leave. Now."

No one argued with her. They ran towards the tank, moving along the right hand side to get behind it. Selphie was desperately hoping there was a gap they could squeeze through, and enough room to pummel the crap out of the doors before crawling out of the way. But as they reached the side of the machine, her stomach and hopes came crashing down to her feet.

The tank had done its job well, it would seem, because it hadn't actually been set on them to take them out. That would have been a bonus as far as the Galbadians were concerned. But now that they had a clear view of the side of the tank, they realized it had been propped up against the front gate the entire time. Even if they climbed the damn thing, there was no way to get out, not with the razor wire wrapped around the top. There was no way to get in between them.

"Search the back!" Quistis said frantically, the desperation leaking through her tone despite the elder girl's attempts at keeping it together. "There _has _to be an emergency escape. They can't have had just one exit."

But they weren't so lucky. Running flat out across the parking lot despite how difficult it was to do so. Siren's attack must have affected their equilibrium, because a straight run was more like a clumsy, zigzagging stumble. Chances were they weren't going to recover from it right away. They reached the other side, only to realize the only thing greeting them was solid wall. There was no door of any kind, no back door, no side door, not even an emergency door.

"Dammit!" Quistis cursed as she reached the same conclusion. She reached out to pull at her hair, only to come into contact with the helmet she wore instead. Fisting her hands, she returned them to her side. "It was a trick all along. They _never _intended on simply killing us. All they had to do was distract us long enough for us to be caught in the explosion when the base goes off."

"Then we gotta shut down the self-destruct," Selphie said as the levity of the situation hit her hard. "It's the only way we're gonna survive. If we can reach the controls in time…"

"That's the _thing_, Selphie," Quistis interrupted with a panicked sigh as she took in her watch. "We _can't_. We've only got three minutes. It took five for us to get out of the building and that was because we_ ran_."

Irvine huffed in agreement, standing bent over with hands on his thighs as he attempted to catch his breath. He'd barely been able to keep up with the two junctioned girls, and that was solely thanks to the equilibrium problem they were suffering at the moment. Quistis ignored him. "Even _if _I cast a haste on us it wouldn't be enough to stop the destruction of this base. We would never make it in time."

She sank to the ground, her legs dropping beneath her as she drew in a shaky sigh. "It's over. There's no way out now. The Galbadians planned it this way. I don't even think those soldiers had any intentions of escaping, if only to seal our fate."

A deafening silence was left in the wake of this discover, the howl of the wind only accentuating their dire situation. Still, Selphie searched the wall in the hopes that there was a secret exit, one they could use to escape. She knew it was hopeless but she had to try.

"He knew…" Irvine's voice was quiet but it seemed like an explosion amidst the quiet. His tone was laced with a bitterness that came with the knowledge that they were going to die.

Selphie turned to regard him and spotted Quistis staring at him as well. No words were needed to urge him to elaborate. "Squall. He _knew _this was gonna happen. He knew and he _still_ sent us here ta take care o' thangs. Prolly didn't trust any o' us and thought this'd be the simplest way ta get us outta his hair."

"_Sent_?" Selphie echoed in shock before the feeling was replaced with indignation. She moved until she was towering over the taller teenager and she shoved away the glee in having him crane his neck to look up at her, hands on hips and all. "The last I recall, Irvine Kinneas, you _chose_ to tag along. Squall didn't pick you for this mission, we _asked_ him to go and he let us, because he _does _trust us. He trusted us to get the job done, I just know it. He knew the risks, that's why we had to practically twist his arm to let us go, but _we all_ knew the risks. This is _our_ fault, so you can't blame any of this on him."

Irvine said nothing to this and Selphie turned her attention away from Irvine. She was terrified beyond all reason but she was forcing herself to remain calm, trying not to succumb to it and start blubbering like a child. This wasn't exactly how she'd pictured her final minutes of life to be (which were currently ticking by at an alarmingly quick rate), but she didn't regret her decision. Not one bit. She regretted the mishap that had allowed those last missiles to launch, but even that was rectifiable, or so she hoped. With the error ratio set at max and Squall's team headed for Balamb, they'd miss completely with any luck.

Aside from not getting there in time to save Trabia and not stopping the launch, the only thing she truly regretted was dying before being able to set up the Garden Festival. Of course, it was a purely selfish thought and it most definitely shouldn't have been even in her top five priorities, but she couldn't help herself. The Garden Festival had been her pride and joy. It had been a pact she had made with her friends back in Trabia when her transfer had been confirmed and while she couldn't celebrate with them, she had promised that she would at least try to celebrate in Balamb. Now even that had become an impossibility.

She allowed herself to consider the possibility that as the only remaining member of the festival committee Squall would roll up his sleeves and see things through. She shook the thought away when that moment passed. Despite having only known him for a month, she was fairly sure that he had joined purely out of boredom rather than out of an actual interest. Even though he was the most motivated person she knew at the Garden, she knew better than to assume he would stay on if it meant he had to organise everything himself. Just the thought of him handing out flyers alone was mildly entertaining though ridiculous.

Looking up into the sky as dawn fast approached, she didn't fight the tears that began to fall along her cheeks as she allowed the finality of her, of _their_, situation to hit her. They had hit a dead end and could go no further. The rest was up to Squall and the others.

* * *

The first thing he'd done when he climbed out of his car was approach the security post outside the base. The guard on duty had looked like he was about to piss himself and not for the first time that Sergeant Perry had asked himself just what the hell was he getting himself into. Barely a minute after that, the Front Gate had opened wide faster than he would have given the large steel door credit, and cars had zoomed by so quickly it was a miracle Perry was able to get out of the way before he could become a splatter on the road. When he asked the security guard, all he would say was they had to set up a perimeter and that no one was allowed within a thousand yards of the base.

It was another five minutes before he'd learned of the self-destruct. It was another two before he learned that SeeD was behind it. It fit with the briefing he had received before leaving the Capital. SeeD not only wanted to stop the launch, but they wanted to keep it from happening again.

For the next three minutes after that, Perry had his men assist in setting up the perimeter while he met with the impromptu group of the leader (the base leaders had been killed by the SeeD intruders shortly before the self-destruct had been initiated). Once the base had been sealed tight, Perry had begun his investigation, questioning everyone he could from soldiers to the janitorial staff for everything they knew. According to what he had learned, this couldn't have been orchestrated by one person. SeeD was good, Perry would grudgingly give them that, but not even they could pull off a lot of what had been accomplished today.

For the last seventeen hours, they had managed to blend in with the people of the base and collect as much information as they could, get as much access as possible, before they set to work. They had caused a blackout that had stalled the launching for a while and simply waited for an opportunity to strike. For what, Perry didn't know, but he was sure that the remaining escaped SeeD members were currently on route to the only Garden they could possibly save.

Getting from Timber to Balamb would take a sixteen hour train ride. A boat from Dollet would take far longer. He at least knew what their route was. A lot of good that would do them, because they had probably already boarded a train already. Even if they rushed, they were probably near arriving at their destination.

But then there was a loud roar that directed everyone's attention skyward. The roar was followed shortly by the rousing cheer of the men and women of the base as the missiles blasted out into the sky arcing north-east and continuing in that direction. The cheering continued on even as they continued to mercilessly chart their course, the white vapour the sole evidence that they had even ripped through the sky to begin with. It meant the SeeDs had ultimately failed in their mission, that the intruders had failed to stop the launch and that Garden and SeeD was doomed on the whole.

The only thing that remained to wait for now was the destruction of the base. This thought seemed to temper the mood, because it grew more solemn now as the end came nearer. No longer were there any cheers or shouts, just a solemn resignation as the countdown continued. It was a very long and agonising ten minutes despite amount of work they had to do. Perry kept checking the time as he and his people compiled all the information they could into the report they would be issuing to the Presidential Residence back in DC, but even then time crawled at a snail's pace. No matter how detailed he was, he kept feeling like he was spending far too much time on it, but he knew he had to continue the methodical approach. It was the only means to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

But then the base exploded in a huge puff of black smoke and flame. It wasn't simply one explosion, but a combination of many as the rectangular fortress fissured and shattered in numerous places, the devastation taking hold. The four watch towers – all of which resembled those found in a prison – buckled under the heat before collapsing into the desert, causing another explosion that had nothing to do with fire. The main carcass of the base was split in half and sank like grains within an hourglass, returning to that which it had been built upon.

The explosion was so violent it rocked the desert floor, forcing everyone to hit the dirt as the dust and sand surrounding the building was thrown up in the wake of the detonation. The roar was deafening, drowning out even the howling wind that was stirred up, the sounds afterwards filled with an unpleasant ringing that seemed even more deafening.

The explosion felt like it had gone on forever, even though it only lasted a few moments. The concussive sounds ebbed away soon after and it was only when the dust began to settle that the solders and personnel rose onto legs that felt like jelly. The base itself had been reduced to an unrecognisable smouldering heap of debris and rubble, the fires that had sprung forth licking at the busted walls and buildings like a wounded creature would lap at its wounds.

Aside from the fuelling flames and the howling of the wind, there was only silence.

* * *

_And so the Missile Base arc ends, not with a bang, but with silence. _

_Okay, that was terrible, I know. _

_There aren't very many changes to this chapter; for the fight scene I had poetic license since in the game it was rather bland. Then again, they hadn't come up with games like Dissidia (which I've had for the last month now, and have been playing it rather religiously in fact). I changed the laser into a grenade launcher just because it's easier to explain it away that way. Unlike with the Black Widow spider, with the Iron Clad, it didn't make much sense for it to have a laser, which is another reason for the change. _

_I also changed Siren's ability. I always hated the fact that all she did was sit on a rock and cast silence on the enemy. It was stupid and, usually, useless. In fact, the only reason I would ever use Siren was if I was attacking Behemoths; she always hits them with silence and then they die as they try to attack you with spells, even if you don't hit them. I suppose they just give up. But getting back on topic,, I did keep the silence bit, which is useless against machine line structures like the Iron Clad, and I added to it by giving her a kind of banshee scream that emits a sonic emitter response, which is why the Iron Clad went boom afterwards and everyone else got nose bleeds. It also goes to show that some GF's need to be used sparingly, and it makes Siren appear a little more dangerous I think. I personally like it better than what she was, and I hope you guys did too._

_And the soldiers didn't run out of the tank on fire and attack the group either; that I thought was pointless, and I've always planned on them to die inside the tank. _

_The addition of the soldiers there to bear witness to the explosion was also always envisioned, again due to the fact that the Missile Base's operation was so important that them missing a scheduled report would have resulted in some kind of response from the government. And them being witness to this also helps with the suspense for a certain future predicament later on. _


	20. Chapter XVIII: Turbulence Over Eden

**Edited: **_06/26/10_

* * *

**Chapter XVIII:  
Turbulence Over Eden**

* * *

She was anxious, her stomach doing somersaults and colliding with her upper and lower intestines, making her feel queasy and uncomfortable as they pulled to a stop. The lights were out, the unrelenting darkness making it difficult to see the back of her own hand as she waved it about her face let alone the outline of her travelling companions.

She almost snorted at the ridiculousness of such an idea. Travelling Companions. That made it out like they were tourists when they were anything but.

The train ride from Timber to Balamb had been the easy part. Getting aboard had been as simple as buying their tickets. Getting to Timber from the train station in the desert had been trickier, since the platform they had pulled into had been crawling with Galbadian soldiers. Fortunately, they had been far more interested in the supplies that should have been for the prison rather than three wayward teenagers who snuck away from the scene and blended into the crowded streets of the commuter town.

Rinoa had discovered upon arriving in Timber that her assets and accounts had not been frozen like they had all expected. She had assumed her connection with the General as well as his recent sacking would have had ill consequences for herself as well, only they hadn't. She supposed they had yet to make the connection of her identity publicly as she was using her mother's maiden name rather than her married one. Plus, it didn't hurt that most of her finances were based in Timber and, despite it being an occupied town, it might take a while to track down her records, not to mention that she didn't know how much influence over the financial district the Forest Foxes might have held.

So against the SeeDs' judgement she had withdrawn some money before destroying her cards (as much as it had pained her to do so), setting them up with enough Gil to escape the town via train. She understood that accessing the terminal would draw up a red flag, allowing them tracked all the sooner, but the one advantage they had in their arsenal was the knowledge that their pursuers would only know that she had been in Timber at a certain time and date. From there, they wouldn't have a clue whether or not she travelled to Dollet, Galbadia or even just hung around the desert some place. To track her final destination, she would have to have used her cards to pay for their tickets, but she was far from stupid. Instead, she pressed that they should use her funds to get back to Balamb. The SeeDs had disagreed, but Rinoa was past caring. They might have been trained soldiers, but her father was a military general and knew a damned sight more about tracking a target than the soldiers sent in knew to take it out.

Upon arriving in town, Squall had managed to 'acquire' a new shirt from a street vendor, returning Zell's hooded sweater and retrieving his leather beater from Rinoa who, at that point, had forgotten she'd been wearing it. Then, after their impromptu stop at the bank machine, they had set out for train station, mindful to keep their heads down and to not draw attention to themselves. Within the span of thirty minutes (Rinoa's opinions of line ups had declined ever so steadily the longer they had waited), they were aboard the locomotive in a private compartment as requested and a few minutes later they were bound for their next destination.

Exhaustion had caught up with them and as a result the trio had slept in shifts. One person was always posted by the door to ensure that no one disturbed them, or to warn the others in the event some personnel was approaching their door. Having brought nothing but their travelling packs along, they would be able to make an easy escape, though the problem remained where to, particularly when they crossed through the transcontinental tunnel.

Rinoa felt bad throughout the ride, feeling as though she had probably gotten the most amount of sleep. Despite the few hours they had received in turn, Squall and Zell still looked about ready to drop and despite their assurances that they were fine, she still worried about them. As a result, the train ride was a horrible thing, and she was anxious to get out and actually do something.

So now as the sunlight poured in through the lone window of the room, she felt even more anxious as both Squall and Zell prepared themselves to leave. They hadn't said much of anything since boarding the train, no doubt reviewing over and over again their plan of action once they got to Balamb. Fortunately they were willing to share what the plan was after some prompting. Once the train pulled to a stop at the station, they would make a run for it to the rental shop at the edge of town and drive to the Garden. The walk was decidedly not worth it (a three hour trek that might prove fatal to the SeeDs targeted by the missiles) and it sounded as though they spoke from experience. When she brought up the thought, neither one was willing to broach it.

When the train began to slow, they finally made their way out of the private car and towards the exit, waiting at the door where one of the workers was standing to ensure order. Rinoa didn't know how much disorder the three of them could cause, but decided against voicing this point in favour of tracking just how much distance they still had to cover. It felt like a really long time before they stopped altogether.

Carefully they disembarked along the steps that were provided for them but the moment their feet touched down upon the platform they bolted, tearing past the checkpoint leading into the station and out into the streets of Balamb town.

Momentarily stunned by the sun hitting her eyes, Rinoa shielded them with her hand as she looked around, suddenly realizing the flaw in the plan they had come up with. There were people everywhere, the hustle and bustle of bodies as they went about their business almost as intimidating as a violent river. Looking up at the clock posted beside the entrance to the train station explained the reason for the sudden activity. Being that it was just past 1 in the afternoon, people were either on a late lunch break or attempting to return to their businesses. Either way it was inconvenient.

Rinoa turned her attention back in front of her only to realize she'd lost sight of the guys. Squall and Zell must've just bolted through the people and this was evident the longer she took in the crowd because she could catch the sight of slightly irritated people as they looked behind them, a scowl gracing their features. Deciding that they had headed in that direction, Rinoa ran ahead, mindful of the people she passed and apologizing each and every time she knocked into someone.

But the further down the streets she ran, the more she was convinced she'd gotten turned around. Nothing was familiar at all, no landmark or anything and she could no longer make out the train station from her position so she couldn't even go back to retrace her steps. Near panicking, Rinoa flagged someone down to ask for directions, but either he was unclear or she was so frantic she confused herself easily because they proved to be no help to her at all.

"Hey Rinoa!"

At the call of her name, she ran towards the sound, accidentally knocking into a fisherman who had been carrying a sack that made a sick _squelch _when it hit the ground. Apologizing in a higher voice than she normally possessed, she bolted towards the sound, even as Zell's voice carried through the crowd. Thankful that he had at least been thinking about her, she was even more relieved when she could make him out in the crowd. The red in the jacket made it that much easier to do so.

When she finally managed to reach him, he instructed her to try and keep up as he continued down the street. She had almost panicked at the instructions, but she'd been relieved to discover that he had slowed down quite a bit and she used the advantage of his larger body to thread through the crowds, keeping as close to him as possible.

They found Squall maybe fifteen minutes later, arms folded as he leaned against an ugly looking blue sports car that reminded her of the convertible he had stolen during the parade. The squad leader gave her no time to argue though and quickly ushered everyone inside. It wasn't until the car started and tore down the path out of town that Rinoa remembered her earlier promise to not allow Squall behind the wheel of _any_ vehicle.

But it was too late to make an objection and the time it would spend arguing the point would waste whatever time they had left to save the Garden. So saying a less-than-fond farewell to her stomach as they left it behind, she fastened her seatbelt, tightly gripped the roof of the car and the handle of the door and kept her mouth shut as they sped a course for the Garden.

When the front gates leading into the Garden came into view a good fifteen minutes later (according to Zell, it would have been double that had they been following actual traffic laws), Rinoa was overcome with a joy that the terrifying ride was almost over. But when Squall executed one of his swerving stops, that joy had turned into dread as they had been abruptly turned in to the left, her arm knocking into the car door from the momentum. The feeling was most uncomfortable before the car finally pulled to a stop, facing the direction they had just come from though on a slight slant.

Swallowing the bile that threatened to force its way from her throat, she crawled out of the car on legs that felt like they were made of rubber and almost collapsed onto the ground. Beside her, Zell face planted as he all but fell out from the back seat even as Squall – who was shockingly still standing – slammed the driver's side door after him. He didn't urge them to get a move on, probably having realized it would be better to allow them the opportunity to recover from the torturous car ride, so he'd leaned against the car again in order to allow them to catch their breaths. Rinoa felt more than confident that she needed to wait for her stomach to catch up to the rest of her, but she wouldn't communicate that point until she was confident she wasn't about to throw up.

Looking up through the front gate, she couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the Garden, which still looked as beautiful as it had when she'd last visited. It wasn't elegant by any means but it was the simplicity in its design that captured its true beauty. But more importantly, it was _still _standing. They had beaten the missiles, or the others might have stopped the launch altogether.

But when she brought out the latter point, Squall only frowned as he looked over his shoulder to regard her. "Just because the Garden's still standing doesn't mean the missiles aren't on their way. They might have been able to stall instead of stop them. The Garden needs to be evacuated all the same."

"Let's just hope the other's managed to stall them long enough to make it happen," Zell added gravely as he picked himself up off the ground. "It'd suck if we arrived just in time to buy it with everyone else."

Evidently, both SeeDs must have assumed that she was fine if she was able to talk because they started up the steps towards the front gate. Rinoa scowled but followed anyway, but she didn't have far to go, because when they approached the gate, she noticed something she hadn't when they'd first arrived. Unlike the last time she had shown up, the gate was closed and when she was closer she realized there was a chain threaded through the gaps of the metal of both doors, linking them both together tightly. Keeping the chain firmly in place was a padlock, a really thick and expensive looking one that seemed meant to keep intruders out.

"I take it that this is _not _supposed to happen?" Rinoa asked pointedly.

Both threw her a grim look which only increased her suspicion that this was fact. They tried opening the gate as wide as though could, but no one was thin enough to squeeze through the gap they made. Zell stepped forward and inspected the lock but from what she could tell it looked like it needed a combination rather than a key. But the brawler had only been at it for a second before Squall pulled him back, his hand going to the handle of his weapon. "We don't have the time," he remarked before pulling the gunblade free and striking the lock. At first Rinoa thought it was going to take a few attempts to cut it open, but the added strength of the Guardian Forces must have been enough to break the lock with one swing. After taking a second to do the same thing with the chain, Zell kicked the gates open and both males rushed on through. Rinoa followed after them as quickly as she could manage.

But just as they passed through the gate and moved a few feet ahead, Squall and Zell suddenly pulled her down behind some large potted plants, more than likely having seen something she hadn't. When she went to protest, her mouth was covered and she was silently instructed not to make a sound. When she spotted Squall look over the outcropping, she couldn't help but follow suit.

Beyond the courtyard were people, all in uniform though not like the SeeD uniforms she had seen the last time she was here. They wore navy blue blazers, the boys wearing pants while the girls wore skirts and yellow neck ties. All of them were running around frantically, almost desperately, like they were searching for something. But standing in the middle of the chaos was a strange looking person in a set of red robes that covered everything but his head. But even that was covered by a strange looking yellow hat that reminded Rinoa of bee keepers from the wildlife books she'd read while raising Angelo.

She hadn't seen this person or anyone like him before but she remembered Seifer telling her all about them. The infamous Garden Faculty, charged with upholding the rules and making students' lives a living hell. They were obnoxiously strict and always swarmed around the Garden like locusts with their communications devices, ready and eager to thwart any and all rule breakers. They reminded Rinoa a lot of the hall monitors at her school in Deling before having run away to Timber, and she remembered not liking them much either. Though, somehow, she could tell that the Garden staff seemed infinitely worse.

The strange looking man was barking orders at the people, presumably students, who looked like they were searching for something, making the scene look far more chaotic than the night of the SeeD party.

"What's going on?" Rinoa asked, realizing that it was a stupid question. How were they supposed to know the answer to that?

That was why she didn't complain when her question went unanswered. "Could they be evacuating?" Zell asked in a tone that betrayed his surprise. He also sounded almost hopeful, more than likely wishing that things would get easier from here.

"Unless they had a spy in the Galbadian government who was high enough to be in the know, Garden shouldn't even know about the missiles." Squall replied as he shook his head solemnly, more than likely unhappy with this news. Zell's face fell at his answer and even Rinoa frowned thoughtfully, knowing that it was true. "And even if they did, why would the front gate be locked? And why would everyone be running around aimlessly instead of being led to the exit?"

"If they're not evacuating, then what's going on? What are they looking for exactly?" Rinoa asked curiously.

"That's a good question," Squall answered through a sigh. Taking in his features, he looked less than pleased at the sight they were afforded.

But before he could say or do anything else, the Garden Faculty's voice boomed loudly, sounding as though it were coming out from a speaker. But it sounded so collected into the one area that it could only be that the man was simply shouting at the students who surrounded him. "Find the Headmaster!"

Rinoa started, unsure of how to feel about this development. On the one hand, they now knew who the students were looking for but she couldn't help but wonder why they weren't checking his office? Shouldn't he be there at this time of day? But the next words she heard chilled her and caused both Zell and Squall to stiffen. "Find him! Seize him! _Kill _him if you have to! I want him found, and I want him found _now_!"

As the cadets continued to run around in search of the elder man, and the robed figure continued further ahead, the trio exchanged sullen glances. Rinoa, like the two SeeDs who were with her, came to the conclusion that their situation had just become a lot more complicated.

"What the _fuck_?" Zell said through a whisper. Squall's expression mirrored the sentiment.

"Why would someone want your headmaster dead?" Rinoa asked in shock, also careful to keep her voice down. "I thought those guys worked for him?" She didn't mention that Cid seemed like such a nice guy and that it was hard to believe that someone would want to kill him, that it just didn't make any sense. That would have been stating the obvious, or so she thought.

"Somehow," Zell said, his whispered tone now apprehensive, "I get the feeling we just stepped into something I wanna stay miles away from."

"Too bad," Squall responded flatly. He shifted slightly, the sight telling Rinoa that he was getting ready to move. "We have to find the Headmaster, preferably before they do."

The Squad leader then rose up out of cover and proceeded further ahead. The brawler sighed wearily before following suit while Rinoa groaned, once again careful not to raise her voice before doing the same. Her feet ached, had been aching since before the prison and she swore she was going to get some better walking shoes at the first opportunity. Cute or not, these ones were just not cutting it.

The cadets they passed by didn't even spare them so much as a glance, so absorbed in their own searching that they were left unnoticed. Not once did the trio stop the quick stride they had set and, not for the first time, Rinoa felt envy towards the pair for the use of their junctions, feeling more than just slightly winded the more they moved. Still, she managed to keep up, huffing and puffing in her efforts to do so and hoping that they ran into Headmaster Kramer first. If anything, he might know what was going on and could probably tell them why the Garden Faculty and the students were acting so crazy.

Ahead of them, Rinoa could make out the robed man as he stopped in front of the turnstiles that led into the Garden proper. Mentally, she cheered at this because this meant the two SeeDs would be forced to stop and hide. The man started to issue more of his orders, from the snatches they could make out at the distance it was more of the same thing regarding the headmaster. She turned out to be correct in her assumption of the SeeDs actions because they did stop, but before Zell could duck behind of the plants, Squall stopped him. Before she could ask about it though he stepped forward all the more, his stance slow and precise but lacking the quiet nature they he possessed before.

Rinoa realized with a start that he _wanted _the guy to catch them, but why? That was counterproductive of what they were trying to do, wasn't it? Sneaking along throughout the chaos would be perfect if they wanted to stay uninvolved and report to the Headmaster, or she had been led to believe. So then why would Squall sabotage all of that by approaching one of the very people they were attempting to stay out from under?

She managed to catch Zell's eye, who gave her a look that betrayed his puzzlement. Her stomach fell as she realized the brawler had no more idea of what the Squad leader was up to than she did. Slowly and cautiously they proceeded after Squall, not entirely knowing what to expect.

The Garden Faculty turned around suddenly and noticed Squall approaching him right away. Even if the SeeD had wanted to, he was given very little chance to duck back and out of sight. "What are you doing?" He yelled, his tone bordering on annoyance. Including the hat, the man only came as tall as Squall's collarbone, but somehow Rinoa didn't doubt that it didn't affect the man's intimidation factor. The nearby students who were in the area flinched, thus fuelling strength in this belief and for some reason it made Rinoa miss the lacking attitude the hall monitors from her previous school had possessed.

"Why aren't you searching like the others?" The man pressed.

"We just got back from our mission in Galbadia," Squall said, indicating himself and the two behind them. Zell looked like he wanted to curse aloud and Rinoa felt betrayed, more than ever wanting to know just what the other SeeD was planning.

"Are you with the Garden Master?" The robed man barked.

Rinoa was caught off guard, not having expected the question. Was there even such a person that existed within the Garden? Was he really the one in charge of the Garden? Did Cid have to answer to this person? If so, why would the man suddenly want the headmaster badly enough to have him killed should he resist?

Zell turned to regard Rinoa and she could see the clear confusion in his features. She realized that he had no clue what the man was talking about either. Tentatively she looked ahead, her gaze falling onto Squall's back, wishing that she knew what he was thinking or if he was just as confused as they were.

What he said next shocked her to the core. "We are. What's going on? I didn't realize we were initiating the operation so soon. I assumed we were still waiting."

The robed man started in apparent shock, though the slight sag of his shoulders for a mere second betrayed his relief in the youth's answer. But, like the Garden Faculty, his response had surprised his comrades as well and both Zell and Rinoa shared another look. What exactly was Squall talking about? Did he know who this Garden master was? Why hadn't he warned them beforehand? And why was he suddenly acting like he was allied with the strange and unknown man when he had been the one to say they had to find Cid before these people did if they wanted to ensure his safety? Nothing made sense anymore and Rinoa had it in mind to demand to know what was going on.

But before she could, she caught sight of Zell's features lighting up, almost as if someone had flipped a switch in his head. Pausing in her action, she attempted to garner Zell's attention in the hopes that maybe he could explain to her what was happening. Before she could though, Zell quickly turned away from the raven-haired girl and she found herself staring at his back. Hissing his name as quietly as possible, not wanting to draw the attention of the strange hooded man, she became increasingly annoyed when her attempts went ignored by the brawler who seemingly refused to offer her even a glance. Not accustomed to being ignored, it took all of her power to restrain herself from throwing a fit, again in fear of being the sole recipient of this strange man's attention. Deciding that she would hold off until the Garden Faculty had moved on before she started making a scene, she folded her arms across her chest and waited.

"I'm surprised that you, of all people, are in the know," the Garden Faculty admitted, seemingly not having witnessed the exchange, "but relieved all the same. That will save us some time. The Master decided that to wait was to risk allowing Kramer to doom us all far worse than he already has. No one knows what he has in mind, but we're not willing to wait around to find out. Finding Kramer is what is being tasked of everyone. If you want to make yourself useful, I would suggest you begin searching for him as well. You have orders to kill should he resist, but do so quickly. Master Norg wants the situation resolved quickly. We had a meeting this morning, but as you were away on your mission I suppose you can be forgiven for missing it."

"So everyone's searching for Kramer?" Squall asked pointedly. "Is there anything else I should know about the situation?"

"There is," the man answered. "We gathered SeeDs and students to inform them of this operation, but most SeeD members and a few of the students sided with Kramer. They don't appear to have the same sense as those who realized the inevitable and they've been standing in our way ever since. If you encounter _anyone_ aiding Kramer, kill them and move on. We have little time to waste."

And with that he stormed off, passing through the turnstiles as he entered the Garden, leaving the trio behind.

As soon as she was sure he was gone, Rinoa rushed forward and stepped into Squall's path as he was about to follow after him. "What do you think you're doing? Why did you tell him we were on the Garden Master's side? You haven't betrayed Cid, have you?"

Squall arched an eyebrow as he looked around. Rinoa followed his gaze and realized the students who had been looking in the area had run off to continue their search. It was just the three of them now.

"Of course not," Squall finally answered, jarring Rinoa from her thoughts and she whirled around to face him, searching for any sign that he was telling the truth. Either he was a fantastic liar (SeeD probably had been trained to be) or he really was telling the truth. She couldn't tell.

Seemingly taking her shocked silence as leave to continue, Squall did so. "Our objective remains the same. Find the Headmaster before these supporters of this _Norg _do, warn him about the missiles and find some way of evacuating the Garden." He sighed heavily. "Though, I have to admit it's going to be difficult if the Garden's become as big a war zone as I think."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Rinoa exclaimed, frustrated that she didn't know what was going on. "If _we're_ on Cid's side, why did you tell that guy we were working with Norg? Who _is _Norg anyway? And why didn't you tell them about the missiles heading to the Garden if you wanted to focus on evacuation?"

"Because despite not wanting to get involved, we needed to gather some Intel," Zell answered for the squad leader and when Rinoa turned to regard him, she realized he was grinning. "Not to mention just spilling the beans about the missiles'll just cause mass panic, and that's only _if _they believe us. If we play along with them for now, chances are we'll get left alone if we get spotted in the halls, giving us a better chance at finding the headmaster. Nice performance, by the way," the brawler added, his gaze fixed on Squall. "You _totally _had me fooled until I figured out what you were up to."

"Would have been nice if someone had told _me_," Rinoa muttered bitterly under her breath. When she didn't receive a response, she realized she was being ignored again and scowled at the infraction.

"So we know that the Garden Master is the one responsible for the current state of the Garden," Squall surmised aloud, more than likely for their benefit rather than his own. "We also know that they attempted to turn the whole Garden against the headmaster, but ultimately they've failed and are utilizing the people they have garnered support from to flush him out."

"Have you ever heard of this guy before?" Zell asked. Squall shook his head in response. "Yeah, me neither, man. I thought the headmaster ran this place by himself. Who'da thought there'd be someone working behind the scenes, and without recognition to boot? Seems kind of weird if you ask me."

"Office politics at its best, I guess," Squall said, though his features briefly betrayed his distaste at the thought. "Probably even an attempt to start a power struggle, which might explain why he doesn't mind killing the headmaster."

"You think this Garden Master wants _total_ control of the Garden?" Zell asked.

"Um…" Rinoa said, pointedly raising her voice to ensure that both SeeDs heard her. It worked, and both were staring at her as though they had simply forgotten she was there to begin with. "This is all very fascinating, and enlightening and whatever, but can we worry about the guy who's trying to kill Cid _after _we've found and warned him about the missiles?"

Neither one objected to her point. They probably decided that their time would be better spent actually searching instead of just thinking and they moved to do just that. None of the students in the area stopped them as they passed through the turnstiles and entered the Garden proper, running up the steps that took them into the main hall. More than likely they were assured that they were fighting for them. And they were, though just not for the reasons they thought.

The main hall looked almost exactly the same as when she'd first stepped foot within it the last time she had been here. The ceiling was so far above her head she felt like she'd just stepped foot into a museum, railings along the upper floor the only means of preventing a fall that would have most assuredly resulted in great injury if not death. The floor that was actually a platform that was held suspended over the water that flowed beneath them stretched the entire length of the place, splitting into two separate directions once it reached the base of the stairs leading to the elevator. The floor, which was so immaculate she could see herself reflected in its surface as clearly as a mirror's surface, was now stained with blood and scuff marks, the tell-tale signs of a battle. It was impossible to tell who had won with the amount of blood that had been shed, or which direction the combatants had emerged from or retreated to. The only thing they could discern was the knowledge of a fight, and that it had been a grim one.

Worst of all was the quiet that came with it. The last time she had been here, the halls had been bustling with activity. Between the students gossiping around the directory, heading to the library for some late studying or the officials setting up for the party, there had been plenty of background noise to remind her of her high school when she'd attended classes. But the silence that filled the air now was almost stifling in its foreboding nature, and something was very wrong if the normally animated halls were devoid of any sound. It gave her the creeps and she found herself rubbing her arms as they walked through the empty place, their footfalls barely audible as they made the trek quietly.

"How many people ya think walked away from this one?" Zell suddenly asked grimly, the sudden silence forcing his words to fly back at him from the high ceiling above. He shifted uncomfortably, almost as though he'd regretted his choice of words, or rather that he had said them.

"Hard to tell," Squall answered back with a verbal shrug. "Could've been one fight, could've been a number of them. Who knows if anyone walked away?"

Rinoa pressed her lips together to keep herself from snapping at the squad leader. Reminding herself that they needed to stay focussed, she swallowed the scathing words that would've attempted to urge him to support his comrade and instead searched the area for any sign of any hiding places. The main hall was like an open field with no places for cover.

Except for the directory that stood in front of the stairs up ahead.

She knew that it was a long shot, but it wouldn't hurt to take a look behind the directory to see if someone was using it for cover. If it was a supporter of Norg, then they could just say they thought an enemy was attempting to ambush them or something, and they could figure out the rest as they went along. Exchanging looks with Squall and Zell told her they were thinking the same thing and slowly they crept forward, careful not to betray their position from the sounds of their feet lightly treading the floor beneath them.

"Wonder how they plan on cleaning this place up," Zell said, speaking purposefully. At first she didn't know what he was doing, but then she figured he was just trying to act naturally. More than likely it would keep the potential ambusher assured that they still possessed the upper hand.

"How else would they clean up this mess?" Squall spoke, following Zell's example. "It doesn't take rocket science to figure that out."

"All I know is _I _sure as hell don't wanna be the sucker with the mop," Zell snorted. "Stuff's probably caked on by now for all we know. Might need a chisel."

Rinoa almost giggled at the image she conjured up at the suggestion, imagining the poor soul assigned to cleaning up the floor attempting to remove the stained blood by chiselling it out. "They might as well just paint over it then, don't you think?"

Both Squall and Zell turned to regard her and for a moment she thought she wasn't supposed to say a word. But the surprise in their features at her added impute did not give way to the chastising she was expecting. More than likely they were surprised at how quickly she had caught on. Feeling proud of herself for catching the pair off guard, she flashed them a beaming grin before gesturing for them to continue.

As they talked, they crept towards the directory, careful to keep their footfalls light. The added effort impeded the speed at which they moved and Rinoa found herself growing impatient as what felt like hours passed by but eventually they found themselves standing in front of the object. Squall held up three fingers and, much like when they were hanging suspended at the prison, he ticked them off one by one. But just as Squall finished counting, two people rose up from behind the directory, hands raised in a show of surrender.

It would have been a comical sight had the situation not been so dire. The pair were a mismatched pair at that, a dark skinned boy who looked like a linebacker on steroids and a small pale-white silver-haired girl wearing an eye patch. It was the boy who looked panicked, almost terrified at the prospect of being attacked, whereas the girl appeared more resigned to her fate, her one eye staring at them flatly as though betraying her lack of appreciation for the circumstances.

Considering how everyone else seemed to have lost their minds around here, Rinoa wasn't the slightest bit relieved to see Fujin and Raijin. She knew them from the previous summer where she'd met Seifer, and while they had been friends back then, she wasn't altogether convinced that they weren't prepared to attack her at a moment's notice. But the fact that they seemed like they were surrendering was encouraging at least. The fact that they didn't appear shocked to see them, however, was not.

At least it wasn't until Raijin spoke a mere couple of seconds after they had been discovered. "Thank god it's you guys! We heard people coming but when you guys started talking, I almost pissed myself, I was so relieved, ya know?"

"Which side are you on?" Squall asked.

The question seemed to sober Raijin because the excitement that had mingled with the terrified expression seemed to fall and he exchanged glances with the smaller girl beside him. Fujin's expression was like it had been carved from stone, because there was no shift betraying any emotion whatsoever, almost like she was resigned to the situation at hand. _Squall _showed more emotion than the silver-haired girl ever did it would seem. After a brief silence that felt like it had stretched a while, Raijin turned to regard the trio. "Which side are you?"

"We asked first," Zell piped up and, despite how childish it sounded, Rinoa couldn't help but agree.

At first though she thought they weren't going to answer, but Raijin surprised her. "We're with Seifer," he said, his voice confirming this belief. "Always have been, always will be."

Before he could finish though, Zell cut him off. "You guys know he's alive? You found him in Deling?"

Finally, Fujin betrayed some emotion as both eyebrows shot up beneath her dishevelled bangs and her jaw hung open from surprise. Raijin staggered backwards, almost knocking into the directory behind him as he redirected his gaze onto Squall. "He's _alive_? _You_ told us he was dead, ya know? We didn't find nothing in Deling, ya know?"

Another quick exchanged glances between the duo and Raijin redirected his attention forward, licking his lips almost nervously as he ventured in a voice that wavered. "Is… _is_ he alive? Did ya find him?"

"Unfortunately we don't have the time to explain," Squall said quickly and for once Rinoa didn't argue with him. As much as she knew they deserved to know what their friend was up to, she wasn't looking forward to that conversation. She couldn't help but wonder what their reaction would be though, if they would follow after Seifer even knowing that he was following the Sorceress. "We need to find the Headmaster. Where is he?"

"GARDEN MASTER?" Fujin barked condemningly, her voice slightly lower in volume than Rinoa remembered it being. She assumed it was an attempt to keep unwanted attention away. If they weren't picking sides between the Garden Master and the Headmaster, more than likely they were trying to stay out of sight of both factions.

The words were enough to convey the message she was trying to deliver, and at first Rinoa figured Squall was going to try and change the subject. Once again, she was shocked. "We're not trying to capture or kill him like the others. We just need to find him. Where is he?"

Raijin and Fujin exchanged yet another look between one another, like they were communicating in a way that they weren't privy to. It made Rinoa want to know what it was they were thinking but before she could ask, Raijin spoke. "We don't know."

"What'd'ya mean 'you don't know'?" Zell exclaimed. Fujin barely flinched but Raijin almost leapt out of his boots, despite being at least a full foot taller than the brawler.

"_No one_ knows, ya know?" Raijin stressed in near panic. "The guys' who're looking for him don't know where to start looking and I don't even know if the SeeDs protecting him know where he's hiding and _sorry _we haven't stuck our necks out long enough to find out, ya know? Why're ya lookin' for him anyway, if not ta kill him or catch him, ya know?"

When Rinoa turned to look at Squall, to see what he thought they should do, and wasn't surprised to see Zell do the same. For his part, Squall kept his gaze fixed ahead, as though he was refusing to even acknowledge what the other two were doing. But as though he could read their thoughts, he provided them with the answer to their unvoiced question. "Missiles have been launched from Galbadia. Garden is their target."

The pair reacted in shock, Raijin swearing while Fujin's uncovered eye widened with a dread they were no doubt feeling. Squall cut in before their shock could give way to panic. "You need to remain calm, and you _cannot _tell another person about this. If word spreads it would cause a panic that would do more harm than good, and that's only _if _anyone else believes us. _That's _why we need the Headmaster, so he can announce an evacuation over the public system and get everyone out of here with as little injury as we can."

"FOILED," was Fujin's response as she shook her head.

"Fu's right, ya know?" Raijin agreed. "The PA's been down since the attack, ya know? We think the Garden Master supporters are responsible, ya know? That's not all they've done…" he started but stopped suddenly when a strange sound filled the air.

The sound was a distant thud, probably coming from the other side of the Garden. From the distance, Rinoa couldn't tell if it was an explosion or if something had just collided hard with a solid force. Either way, she didn't like the implications.

Apparently Fujin and Raijin didn't disagree, because both paled at the sound while Squall and Zell – like Rinoa – were left confused. "BAD," Fujin remarked.

"Uh no, ya know?" Raijin said in dread. "They're starting up again."

Rinoa started to ask what he was talking about but her question was only halfway through when she saw for herself what he was talking about. The first indication of it was a loud buzzing noise, one she equated to the sensation Zell had told her about, the one that preceded a trip to the dream world. At first, she thought it might just be her turn to experience it first hand, but when a moment passed and she didn't feel nauseas she was relieved to know that this was not the case.

However, seconds later she spotted the cause and almost wished that she had been rendered unconscious by now.

A large wasp was hovering in the air carrying a large and heavy looking object, the buzzing of its wings giving away its position. Its stinger – which looked like a tail to Rinoa – lashed through the air as though cutting an invisible foe to ribbons but before they could say or do anything, the wasp suddenly dove towards them, dropping its heavy load as it rose back up above their heads.

Rinoa suddenly felt pressure from the right and the next thing she knew she was lying on her side along the ground, her shoulder throbbing from where it had impacted with the floor. She also felt something lying atop her and she looked up to see what it was, only to realize that Squall had knocked her down and out of the path of the flying thing. Fujin and Raijin had jumped back towards the elevator while Zell had dodged to the right, each of the three only just beginning to recover. The object the wasp-thing had dropped was rolling past them back down the stairs leading to the turnstiles, and when she turned her attention back towards the wasp monster she couldn't help but notice what remained of the directory, which had apparently taken a direct hit from the thing and was now little more than broken glass and debris.

She was suddenly very grateful for Squall's thoughtfulness, because there might have been little splattered bits of Rinoa Heartilly included in the mess had he not acted.

As Squall lifted himself off Rinoa – clearly ignorant of the position he had been in moments before – she watched him throw a spell up at the wasp monster. The blast of ice that flew from his fingertips missed the flying creature, instead hitting the wall behind and showered the air with ice magic particles before they dispersed altogether. The monster, for its part, wagged and weaved across the air, like a child waving a toy around erratically.

"Does this remind you of anything?" Zell shouted from his position across the room.

"Why the hell are there monsters in your Garden?" Rinoa shrieked in her panic, interrupting Squall as he had been about to answer Zell's question.

He instead directed his attention towards her. "Training," was his simple answer.

Rinoa's jaw dropped suddenly, very much realizing that she had just entered a building where they kept live monsters in supply for the students to hack into bits. It wasn't so much the monsters welfare she was worried about, more appropriately her own. "_Why_? And _why _does this remind Zell of something?"

"Can we talk about this later?" Squall asked pointedly, his tone indicating he didn't think that now was the time to be questioning Garden's motives or sanity.

Rinoa was about to argue but when the buzzing noise from the flying monster grew louder she was forced to swallow her words as both she and Squall dodged away again, the monster swooping overhead before arcing back up into the air, its stinger just very narrowly missing them.

Hearing a surprised shout from across the room, she Rinoa looked over to see the strange heavy object the flying monster had thrown at the directory clambering onto feet she didn't know it had lunging forward. But as it hit the ground with its front legs, it turned the lunge into a tumble, but then the thing was rolling forward like it had suddenly turned into a heavy ball and the force of its movements propelled it right towards Zell, who dodged out of the line of fire as the thing collided right into the overhanging with such a force, it caused cracks to form in the otherwise smooth surface.

Backing out and away from the apparent monster, Zell craned his head back towards Fujin and Raijin. While Raijin pelted the flying monster with magic spells, Fujin threw a giant sized shuriken through the air, the blade cutting through the air before it slashed right through the tail of the monster, causing it to shriek as yellow blood spewed from the cut. "Hey! You guys ever catch the asshole who let the monsters escape the _last _time?"

Rinoa made an exclamation at the noise but she suddenly found pressure hit her from her side and she landed hard onto her arm again before rolling onto her back. She looked over to see what the cause was and found that it had been Squall once again, but before she could thank him, he hit the ground and suddenly flew out of sight with a startled cry.

Suddenly worried for him, Rinoa pulled herself up but something just within the scope of her peripheral vision caught her eye and she moved just before some kind of projectile could hit her. Looking past where the thing had gone, she watched as some kind of substance hit the ground before cracks began to form. Seconds later, the floor melted away entirely, leaving a gaping hole in the floor.

Gulping, Rinoa turned her attention forward and noticed the cause, a shrub with plant-shaped legs and vines on either side of its body stumbling forward. The shrub looked more like a sack with teeth at the very top and it made a shrill noise as it started to close the distance between them…

* * *

**12/17/2011 - **_Changes!_

_First off, I would like to profusely apologize for the very long gap between updates for actual fresh chapters, but I'm very nearly there. Just this and the Fisherman's Arc and I should be all caught up again. I can't tell you when because I have a tendency to break deadlines. _

_So in regards to the changes to this chapter that were not in the original draft, I shall explain them here. In the original, Squall and company had no clue what the Garden Master was talking about and thus were attacked by the students in the area when this became apparent. But as I was editing this chapter, my mind wandered and my fingers did all the work for me and when I realized what had happened, the first part of this chapter had been totally rewritten. Gone was the fight in the front of the Garden, and instead was a stealth operation that actually made more sense than allying yourself with the Headmaster from the get-go (though to be fair, if you sided with Cid in the game, you got all sorts of helpful items from his supporters). _

_As a result a lot of things changed from that one slight decision made on Squall's part, which is why there were no student fights and instead there were monster encounters. This avenue wasn't explored previously but I find myself feeling slightly proud of the changes because it brought about ideas that I never thought of had I not gone down this route. Other than that, there's not much different, but given that it was a BIG decision, that means the whole chapter is pretty much a stark contrast to what it was originally. Either way, hope you enjoy the new stuff, and sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long._


	21. Chapter XIX: Decoy Approach

**Edited: **_06/26/10_

* * *

**Chapter XIX:  
Decoy Approach**

* * *

The first thing he became aware of was the shock of his body colliding with the cold water that flowed throughout the Garden.

He didn't hit the water gently, the sting of the force nearly prevented him from drawing breath into lungs that would soon be deprived of much needed oxygen. The weight of his clothes, in particular his jacket, dragged him down, the water soaking into the material. The water was deep, far deeper than he had expected. Due to the disorientation caused by the fall, he couldn't tell which way was up, the route that would lead him back to the surface.

His chest burned, it became harder and harder to hold his breath as he fought through the instinctive panic as he forced himself to concentrate on where to go. The sudden shift in the water behind him snatched his attention and he caught sight of the platform falling through the water, dragged down towards the depths like a body attached to weights. Faster and faster the object fell before it hit the ground that served as the very bottom of the artificial lake, the lights built into the floor chased away the shadows that would have otherwise obscured the sight. Despite being able to see, it still appeared deeper than he would have liked and should he somehow manage to reach the bottom before being able to surface chances were he would not survive the trip, not with the meagre amount of air he'd managed to draw in.

The panic set in again but Squall fought through the clouded emotion, and instead focused on the logic that he now at least knew which direction up was. Swimming in that direction, he propelled himself forward, willing himself to hold the breath he had taken despite the burning of his jaw, despite how difficult it was to do so. As it grew harder and harder despite knowing that the surface was in reach, he shrugged off his jacket to make the journey easier. He barely spared it a glance as it sank deeper into the depths, instead forcing himself up ever still.

And soon after that he broke through the surface, gasping aloud and breaking off coughing, taking long shuttering breaths to fill his ragged lungs. His breathing was a heavy thing, as loud as the pounding between his ears but he soon realized that it wasn't over yet. He had surfaced underneath the platform of the main hall, therefore he was still submerged within the water that weighed down his limbs. Still disoriented, he fought through the haze in his mind as he looked for the gap he had fallen through.

But it wasn't long before he realized he wasn't the only thing in the water. He felt something tug at his pant leg but when he looked around – splashing water in his attempt at staying afloat and treading water – he couldn't see the cause. Seconds after he resumed his search for an escape, he felt a pinch against his leg, a sharp pain that felt like something had a grip on him. He jerked reflexively and when he looked down into the water, this time he did spot something. He couldn't discern it properly through the ripples that broke the surface of the water but it was small and orange in colour. Then it bit down hard and his train of thought was interrupted as he released a hiss of pain.

He clenched his eyes shut while attempting to concentrate on keeping afloat, an attempt that almost failed as he slipped back under the surface. Rising back up he sputtered to get the water from his mouth before breaking off coughing once again but when he opened his eyes he saw something else.

There were fins in the water. _Multiple _fins. They were orange in colour, and looked serrated, like little bits of teeth formed it, cutting through the water like a buzz saw would cut through wood.

Instantly, Squall recognized the monsters for what they were, the bite in his leg becoming all the more important. His blood was beginning to pool in the water and it was attracting the whole school.

They were headed straight for him.

* * *

Zell cursed as the Raldo pried itself out from the wall it had collided with. It took chunks of the object with it, littering the ground with debris, but shook it off, as though the collision had been a mild irritation.

The brawler had never liked running into these monsters. They were frontline, creatures that were all muscle and hard to cut into, much like boulders and anything else that was seemingly impenetrable. If they took hard hits, they just got back up like they were dusting themselves off after being hit by a fly.

It lunged towards the blonde fighter, who dodged to his right and caused the monster to overshoot the distance. It skidded to a stop and revolved in the same motion, so that it was facing the brawler once again. Zell took a look behind him and realized that his back was to the gap in the wall, the one the Raldo caused. He knew that one wrong move would propel him over the edge but he also knew a way to stop the monster before it could make him road kill.

He just had to get the timing right.

The Raldo began its charge before diving into a roll, propelling it all the quicker towards Zell's position. He waited until the last possible second before he forced himself to dodge to the left, hitting the ground hard as the Raldo squealed before flying off the platform and into the water below with a thunderous crash.

He breathed a sigh of relief before turning to see how the others were doing. The Granaldo seemed to have fallen out of the air and was curling up along the ground, the impact of is crashing into the platform causing cracks to form. Rinoa's Blaster Edge cut through the top of an attacking Grat right before it could spit out its acid at her. Instead, the acid spilt over and burned through the remains of the monster, causing it to shriek in pain as smoke frothed along its injuries.

"Are we okay now?" Rinoa shouted, her arm outstretched with the Blaster Edge ready to launch once more. Fujin and Raijin were still on the stairs, both of them prepared for another attack.

"Yeah, I think so…" Zell said, trailing off slightly as he took in the damages surrounding them. But that was also when he realized something was wrong. "No wait… where'd Squall go?"

"I saw him hit the floor," Rinoa answered, pointing down. Zell realized that what she was pointing at was a hole in the platform and he realized with a sinking gut what she meant. "We have to help him!"

"Oh no!" Raijin said, sounding closer than he had been seconds ago. A look in his direction revealed that the pair had run the distance between them. "Don't tell me he fell in the water, ya know?"

"What's the big…?" Zell started to ask but a pain filled shriek filled the air, and cut him off. He jumped and whirled at the same time, facing the gap in the wall the Raldo charged into. The Raldo had broken through the surface of the water and was screeching as though it were in immense pain, but it was the orange things that were all over it, and purple blood was beginning to pool around it as it splashed in an attempt to get away from the monsters attacking it.

Zell recognized the creatures at first glance and dread filled him up at the implications. "Don't tell me someone let them _into the water_!"

"AFFIRMATIVE," Fujin answered gravely.

"We've gotta get him out of there!" Rinoa exclaimed in horror as she stared at the Raldo that was slowly being eaten alive. It looked like she couldn't tear her gaze from the gruesome sight.

But then the shrieking stopped and the Raldo went rigid as it seemingly began to convulse, splashing water everywhere. If that wasn't strange, the monster fish attacked to the massive monster flaked off like dead skin and bobbed on the surface of the water. As the seconds ticked on, more and more of the Fastitocalons surfaced, lying dead atop the water like some unseen force had taken them out. Soon there were so many of the monsters that it they blanketed the area of water.

A ringing silence was left to fill the void, the monsters bobbing lifelessly across the rocking water. The four teenagers didn't dare to move or even breathe in case they brought on something else that would make their current situation worse than it already was.

But then a gasp shattered the silence like a gunshot, causing everyone on the platform to jump and turn in the direction of the sound, only to find that Squall was pulling himself out of the water and back onto the platform, sputtering and coughing out the water he had inhaled. Rinoa and Zell both made to help him, but stopped when he raised his hand and shook his head, despite being red in the face and obviously needing assistance. The coughing and hacking and deep breaths seemed to make speech difficult for him, but he finally managed to get what he wanted to say out to them. "Don't touch me. Not yet. Wait until I'm out of the water…"

Zell stopped almost immediately at the order, suddenly recalling a similar incident from the Tomb of the Unknown King, where he had blown to shit a mass of water called a Blorba that had tried to eat and drown him. He'd forced the thunder magic to channel through him like an electrical current that had forced the Blorba to explode from the inside out, nearly drowning the rest of the guys in the process. Squall must've done the same to the Fastitocalons, only with Quezacotl for additional help the current had managed to spread into a much larger radius.

At least that explained all the dead fish.

This was why he wasn't surprised when he received a small shock when he reached the squad leader once the elder SeeD was completely out of the water. Rinoa hissed slightly and wrung her hands out in an attempt to get rid of the weird feeling, but by the time Raijin and Fujin came to stand with them, Squall was propped up against the wall, the coughing fit having subsided significantly.

"Dude," Zell said, grinning widely as he spoke, "remind me never to take _you_ fishing. _Ever_."

In response, Rinoa's gaze went to her hands, then to the dead fish before resting onto Squall, the look in her features betraying that she was beginning to connect the dots. Before she could say anything, Squall spoke, directing the attention away from the insane stunt he had performed. "So… about what you were saying before, Raijin…"

He broke off coughing before he could continue. At first, Raijin looked confused but a well-placed elbow to the ribs from Fujin seemed to spark his memory and soon Raijin was answering Squall's unfinished question. "The Garden Master's supporters let out the monsters from the Training Centre, ya know?"

"Yeah, I think we got that already," Zell remarked pointedly.

"STUPID" Fujin remarked, throwing her hand out to the right for emphasis. At first Zell thought she was talking about him, but then decided she must've just ignored his comment and was speaking as though he hadn't said a word. Sadly, he didn't know which was worse, being ignored or being insulted. So instead, he dropped it altogether.

"No kidding," Rinoa added helpfully. "Monsters aren't going to pick a side. We're all food in their eyes." She turned to regard Zell. "You said something about this reminding you of something."

"Oh yeah," Zell nodded. "At the beginning of the semester, a bunch of monsters managed to make a run for it from the Training Centre. It took about a week to round them all up, but the fact that it happened at all freaked a lot of people out. Most didn't go back in for about a month after."

Squall looked like he was about to say something, but Zell rolled his eyes. "I said _most_, Squall."

"I was _going_ to say that it's possible whoever let them out the first time tried it again," Squall said pointedly. Zell, suddenly feeling like an idiot, grinned sheepishly.

"That's what Fu and I were thinkin', ya know?" Raijin added. "As the disciplinary committee, it was our job to check it out for the safety of the students, ya know? So we investigated, ya know, but all we found was one of the gates were all worn out, ya know? We told the headmaster, but Seifer seemed ta think someone let 'em out on purpose, ya know? We just thought he was bein' paranoid, ya know, but the headmaster said to keep on it but not to say nothing, at least not until we got actual proof, ya know? Said he didn't wanna cause a panic for no reason, ya know?"

"WRONG," Fujin agreed.

"Maybe he _shoulda_ followed Seifer's advice," Zell mused aloud before grimacing. "Man, I can_not_ believe I just said that."

"Fujin, Raijin," Squall cut in suddenly. "Can you two check the second floor for the headmaster? He might be hiding out in one of the classrooms or even the instructors' quarters."

Raijin nodded, followed hesitantly by Fujin. "Go do that. If you find him, find some way to keep him there until we can catch up. Zell, Rinoa and I'll do a sweep around the ground floor just in case he's hiding down here somewhere and we'll meet up with you in a while."

Both made to leave, but when Squall continued to speak, the pair stopped to listen. "If you run into anyone, try to get them to evacuate the Garden. I don't care which faction they're a part of, the more people we can get out of here before the missiles show up the better. We don't have time to worry about these skirmishes or even why they're happening, but if they're resistant or they attempt to attack you, just move on. I don't want anyone getting wise to our search for the headmaster, because that'll just complicate things even more."

"You got your communicators on you, right?" Zell asked, remembering very pointedly the hand-held radios the disciplinary committee held on hand. Whenever Fujin and Raijin were the ones who cornered him, they always radioed Seifer their location and waited for him to show up before they would anything.

Raijin held up his hand-held radio in his hand, showing off that he was carrying it. Fujin nodded once as she indicated her hip beneath her blazer jacket. "Good," Squall responded. "Set your frequency to 2-5-1-4 and we'll contact you if we find the headmaster first. Just to make sure we're not compromised, we'll use the code 'night-owl', you guys use 'desert-fox'. Got it?"

"Done," Raijin said as he fiddled with the radio. Fujin nodded as well before replacing hers to her hip.

"Good. Get going."

The pair didn't need to be told twice and soon they were racing up the steps that led up to the elevator.

"What about us?" Rinoa asked, making a circular motion between herself and the two guys. "Are we splitting up?"

"We're gonna have to," Squall said as he began to pull himself up onto his feet. "We'll cover more ground if we split into two groups. There's no sign of the headmaster at the front of the Garden so we'll each take a wing and meet at the other end of the Garden."

"I'll take the east block!" Zell said before starting off in the direction. "It'll be a piece o' cake!"

"Keep in touch via radio!" Squall shouted after him, and Zell flashed him the thumbs up to show that he'd heard the Squad leader before turning the corner, preparing to start with the library.

* * *

Watching the Squad leader sigh as he turned to regard her, Rinoa knew what to expect. She was the civilian of the group, the burden, the one who didn't have the kind of training the SeeDs required to complete their objectives. She was more or less expecting to be told to run and hide and wait for them to find her after they'd found the headmaster.

She had a few choice words for when the inevitable happened. Sure, she wasn't as well trained as SeeD, but she'd held her own perfectly fine in the prison. It had been because of her that they'd managed to escape, because who knew what would have happened had Irvine taken the time to return her to the city before doubling back? He could've been detained for all they knew, but it had been her stubbornness that had allowed them to get back in time. She also remembered how very useful she had been against the Brothers' GF back at the Tomb of the unknown King. Not to mention that Squall was starting to slow down. He didn't say anything, no one had as of yet, but she could tell that it would only be a matter of time before he dropped, GF assistance or not.

So when it looked like Squall was about to speak, Rinoa braced herself for the argument that would ensue, hoping to Hyne that they didn't get attacked by anymore monsters before they could get going. But he seemed to want to throw a curveball. "Looks like you're stuck with me. We better get going."

And he was already running down the hall towards the stairs, leaving Rinoa to gap in a stupor as her mind registered his words. By the time she recovered, he was already preparing to turn the corner that led down towards what she assumed was the west block and she ran to catch up.

Having only been to three places during her previous visit to the Garden – the ballroom, the front hall and the headmaster's office – she hadn't had the opportunity to explore the rest of the building. Therefore, she was left to depend on Squall to lead the way. She had no idea how long he'd been at the Garden, but she reasoned that it must have been a while, since he was a SeeD now.

They turned the corner down the corridor and Rinoa realized that there were archways built into the walls surrounding them, with support bridges leading from the circular platform they were running along towards these archways. As they continued to run, she suddenly felt a tug that dropped her to the ground with a startled cry as a blast of energy flew over her head. Curious of what that blast did she looked behind her, only to be disappointed when she didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Looking back in front of her, she spotted what reminded her of a jelly fish with what looked like a boggle-head hopping around on a slender point that she supposed was its feet. There were long flaps on either side of what could be assumed to be its head that seemed to help propel it forward, which it did with much gusto as it charged right for them.

Without another source around, Rinoa could only think that this strange monster was to blame for the strange energy that darted out ahead of them and suddenly she wasn't nearly as keen about figuring out what it was supposed to do.

From his own position on the floor next to her, Squall threw an arm out in front of him, raising his palm so that it was facing the advancing monster. Rinoa flinched and moved away from him as three blasts of fire shot out from his hand and into the creatures face. It hissed loudly in an almost ear-splitting shriek before it collapsed in on itself, landing onto its back. And then it was melting into a pile of sticky liquid goo that seemed to smoulder from the effects of the fire spell.

Suddenly reminded of the undead monster Gerogero, Rinoa shuddered in revulsion but wasn't allowed much time to dwell on it. Squall grabbed her by her arm and hauled her back up onto her feet. Instantly they were doing just that, only for a strange round monster to bound towards them. A blast of water from Squall's outstretched hand was enough to force it back as they turned onto the closest platform leading towards the closest of the archways. They passed a sign along the way that read 'infirmary' and Rinoa couldn't help but think of the irony.

But further down the hallway she could see a fight already underway. From the looks of it the participants were both students and SeeD, Garden Master and Headmaster factions squaring off in a fight that would only result in fruitless injury, or so Rinoa believed. She assumed that the infirmary as the first place they would be looking, but she had no idea how they were going to manage to bypass the combatants without becoming involved. And since they'd already said they were on the Garden Master's side, she couldn't help but think that things were about to get tricky.

As they drew closer, Rinoa realized that the SeeD members were guarding the infirmary and that the students were attempting to push past them, probably in search of the headmaster. There were plenty of students and SeeDs alike that had been knocked out of the fight due to injury and to Rinoa there seemed to be just far too much blood to have been necessary. The fact that they were fighting at all seemed pointless in comparison to the attack that threatened the Garden on the whole.

Squall didn't seem to feel the need to tell her what to do and together the pair pressed forward all the more. Rinoa got her Blaster Edge ready while Squall gripped the handle of his gunblade tightly, prepared to withdraw it at any moment.

Their approach garnered unwanted attention, just as the pair had expected. One of the students holding up the rear turned and raised his weapon to cut down Rinoa, but the attack was intercepted as Squall guarded it with the gunblade. The student, caught by surprise by the intercept, was forced back as the gunblader applied more pressure to his weapon, pressing him down almost effortlessly. Without being told to do so, Rinoa ducked down under the attacking students arm and left Squall to it.

Unfortunately, by the time she made her move the other students were aware of her presence. Thinking fast she conjured up a protective shield and watched as the quickly advancing sword slash to her left was intercepted by the magic spell. She winced as the shockwave from the force of the attack shuddered through her arm but with some added pressure, she was able to push the offending student back and into the wall behind him. He hit his head along the journey and ended up falling into a sitting position against it, stunned yet still conscious if the groaning was any indication.

She was so proud of herself for managing to take care of this one student that when she turned away from him she was wholly unprepared for the student who had already thrown their fist her way. The fist caught her cheek and she fell hard onto the ground, wincing and groaning as she hit her shoulder when she made impact with the floor.

"_Hey_!" She heard from somewhere above, followed by a grunt of pain. As disoriented as she had become from the sudden blow she couldn't tell from which direction the shout had come. Her vision swimming from the sudden jarring blow, she closed her eyes to keep the world still and the contents in her stomach safely secured where they belonged, but then she felt a presence fall over her and the sounds fighting instantly stilled. Against her better judgement, Rinoa opened her eyes and spotted that the fight had stopped altogether, with SeeD forces standing in front of the door they were trying to reach and students on the opposite side of the room. She and Squall were in the middle, with her lying prone on the ground and him standing above her, gunblade in hand.

She caught sight of several eyes flicking from the gunblade, which was aimed directly in front of them at the SeeDs, before falling back onto its owner. Sometimes, she felt eyes on her but when she turned in the direction she thought it was coming from, their gaze was solely fixed upon the Squad leader, who also hand his hand outstretched behind them, primed at the students, the threat of a spell imminent enough for them to freeze in their tracks. Looking up, she saw that he no longer wore the mask of neutrality that SeeDs seemed to sport, but there was an intense look of fury in his gaze. She figured he'd had enough of watching these people fight.

There was a silence that stretched longer than she would have liked and it made her feel awkward as she just lay there, not wanting to rise up and distract Squall when he had the attention of everyone present. One wrong shift and they would most definitely attack from all sides and then what were they supposed to do? What could one SeeD do against those odds, the odds of people who were probably junctioned to the teeth? Her jaw throbbed in agreement and she couldn't help but gingerly press her hand against it.

But then someone from behind them felt brave enough to shatter the silence, the silence that was so fierce it echoed across the walls. "Which side—?"

But Squall didn't give him the opportunity to finish. Turning his head away from the SeeDs to look in the direction of the speaker, Rinoa could just imagine the intensely furious gaze he was fixing the perpetrator. She heard the scuff of shoes as some attempted to back away but otherwise the silence progressed as though uninterrupted, that was until Squall spoke in near quiet and deceptively calm tone of voice. "_Enough_ of that. You are all on the same side and we have more important things to worry about than whatever it is you're fighting about."

At this Rinoa expected some kind of backlash or outraged response but when none came she couldn't help but be surprised. They were outnumbered by several numbers and these guys were acting like _they _were the ones with the upper hand. But then she realized it wasn't so much _her _they were worried about as it was them. _They _were afraid of Squall.

_No,_ she silently amended. _They're not afraid of him. They _revere _him._

And she could see it in eyes that were widened in shock. She could see the respect in their gazes that prevented them from simply attacking him and asking questions later. She could also see the fear she had first spotted, the fear that told her they believed they didn't stand a chance. Her own gaze shifted between the students to the SeeDs then back to Squall but he didn't appear to even notice, his attention fixed on the two fighting sides. "We need to get in there," he indicated the infirmary behind the SeeD members, "so I'm only going to say this once. _Move_. Or I'll go right through you."

As Squall shifted his grip on the gunblade ever so slightly, she saw the SeeD members before him flinch. They themselves shifted uncomfortably, seemingly torn between following Squall's directive or taking a stand. She could see easily it was only their orders that kept them rooted to the spot. They had been trained well enough to know that their orders were of the utmost importance and that to disobey them would be failure. Immense pity swelled within her but she forced it down as she grimly watched their silent but reluctant defiance.

But just when she thought Squall was about to follow through with his threat, the door suddenly slid open from behind the SeeDs, revealing a portly looking woman with brown black hair wearing a white lab coat that screamed doctor. Ahead of her, the SeeDs turned around in alarm, no doubt in an effort to protect the woman and to get her back inside the room they barred, but she easily pushed passed them as she rushed out the door, her eyes seemingly soaking in the blood and devastation that lay in the wake of their fighting. "Good _god_! What do you all think you're doing? Put down your weapons. _Right now_!"

Without hesitation, the students that were still standing allowed their weapons to drop to the floor with a thunderous _clank _that caused Rinoa to wince. After a moment's hesitation, the SeeDs followed suit. Squall replaced the gunblade back into its sheath, though Rinoa suspected it was only because the threat had passed rather than because this doctor-person had ordered him to.

With the weapons having been discarded or put away, Rinoa could now plainly see the results of their recent clash. Most of the attacking students had been shoved out of the fight due to their injuries and plenty of the SeeD's forces looked worse for wear themselves. Just by judging the sight Rinoa couldn't help but think that willpower alone was the only thing keeping these people standing. She didn't understand how such a thing could happen, how they could still fight with the injuries they had.

"Don't just stand there, help them to their feet. Get them inside!" The doctor ordered. Both SeeDs and students balked at this but did as they were told, crossing the invisible lines drawn by their skirmishes and assisting the injured onto their feet. Soon they were crossing the threshold into the infirmary.

"Why are you doing this?" One of the students gasped as he attempted to propel himself forward – with the help of two SeeD members – with a broken leg. "We're with the Garden Master. Why are you helping us?"

"I don't give a hoot about Garden Masters or Headmaster," the doctor responded sternly. "All I see are people in need of medical assistance. Idiots more likely but injured idiots all the same." She continued to speak even as the student who had asked was escorted past her and inside the room. She turned around, her gaze falling in their direction before she threw her hands up into the air. "You gonna stand there like a statue, Squall, or are you gonna help the lady to her feet?"

Rinoa could've sworn she'd never seen Squall move that quickly before in all the time she had known him and soon she was up onto her feet, cradling her shoulder with her left hand and her cheek with the right. "We need to find the Headmaster…" Squall started but the doctor cut him off.

"Oh pish-posh. First I need to look _her_ over," she said as she indicated Rinoa. "_Then _we'll talk."

* * *

Racing like a sprinter at a track meet, he charged down the hall at neck break speed, knowing he had little time to waste and that he had to be quick. The longer the search for the headmaster took, the less likely they would find him alive, and the less time they would have to evacuate the Garden.

As he turned the corner from the elevator, he spotted a group of SeeDs down the hall fending off a Bomb – a round monster with what looked like a flame at the top of its head. Actually, that was all it was, a head, with a face carved into it like a pumpkin. It bounced around but as he turned he spotted the SeeDs surround it with what looked like a shield spell just as the monster started to grow.

Zell didn't envy them. Bombs were known for being volatile and even just a nick could cause it to swell up and self-destruct. A lot of injuries caused by the monster were from it self-destructing, just because it tended to turn its self-destructive explosion into a kamikaze, taking out as many of the threat as possible. So it was with fleeting regret and an urgency to get his own objective accomplished that he ran right passed the SeeDs, who looked up just after he'd passed them before he turned the corner, rushing down the corridor that led to the library.

Almost crashing into the wall as he took his turn too wide, Zell almost stumbled over his own feet but managed to recover. Regardless, he continued his charge undaunted, not bothering to slow down as he tackled a guy in a cadet uniform – the first person involved in combat he had spotted since arriving at the Garden – thus knocking them both to the ground. The cadet hit his head against the floor with a curse, but by then Zell had already recovered and was back up onto his feet. "Everyone's gotta get outta the Garden," he shouted at the top of his lungs. "_Now!"_

"Fuck you!" sounded a voice from behind and when he turned around the confront the idiot, Zell suddenly found himself staring at the ground and blinking the stars from his vision. He only had a minute to consider how he found himself doing this when he had more important things to be doing before he pulled himself back up to his feet. But just as he was about to inquire who was the smartass that had hit him from behind, he watched as the remaining students just dropped to the floor like a doll who's strings had just been cut. With the students out of view, he could see the auburn haired SeeD whose hand was still outstretched from her spell casting.

Zell laughed in relief, only to feel a presence on either side of him and, within seconds, he was completely surrounded by the SeeDs who had gathered within the area. Behind the counter, he made out three girls crouched down and huddled together, whispering quietly amongst themselves. From their uniforms, he could guess that they were students and was suddenly wondering why they weren't being restrained while he was being treated like public enemy number one.

"Which side are you on?" The auburn haired SeeD said sternly and instantly his attention returned to her.

"Do I _really _gotta pick a side _now_?" Zell practically whined. In the back of his mind, he knew it was probably a bad idea to do so, but he couldn't help it. As frustrated as he was with the whole situation he'd found himself in, he couldn't deal with forcing himself to remain professional on top of it. "_Seriously_?"

No one answered him, but no one made a move to let him go either. With an agitated sigh, Zell rose his hands into the air to show that he wasn't armed and that he meant them no harm. "Okay, fine. I pick Garden. _Now_ can we deal with the bigger issue here?"

Unfortunately his answer did not appear to inspire confidence and he pursed his lips together in an attempt to hold back the aggravated scream that wanted to let loose. He knew Squall had said not to say anything about the missiles but if that was what it took for them to listen to him and forget about this Garden War nonsense then he was just going to have to disobey the order of silence.

But before he could even form the words that would open up another can of worms, a voice from behind the counter caught everyone else's attention. "Um… you're Zell, right?"

And then one of the students was slowly rising to her feet, her hands raised in a show of 'no harm intended'. Zell recognized her as one of the members of the Library Committee, specifically the one who had been flirting with a SeeD Zell remembered thinking was a total jackass. She had short hair that looked wiry, like it was natural curly only it was straightened out and pulled into a short ponytail, but it looked like it had the consistency of wire or straw. Her skin was almost as dark as her hair and almost disappeared into the navy blue of her uniform, causing the yellow neck tie to stand out in stark contrast.

The girl liked her lips nervously, her eyes darting around her as all eyes fell in her direction but she lifted her chin almost defiantly, as though that would deny her fear. "If he's Zell, then he probably _hasn't _picked a side. I mean, he's been gone for a month. You know, like he just disappeared?"

Zell nodded furiously, catching onto what she was saying. "Yeah, I've been on a mission. When I got back, the whole place was in chaos!"

The SeeDs appeared to mull this over and when they looked away from her, Zell caught sight of the dark skinned girl flashing him a small grin that was almost reassuring. Beside her, another girl with a longer ponytail poked her head out from beneath the counter. Then, just like that, she suddenly ducked back down with a squeak that his junctioned hearing picked up.

But then his attention was drawn towards another movement and he realized the SeeDs were backing off. They were still close enough to intercept if they felt he was a threat but at least they weren't crowding him. Slowly, so as not to cause anymore unease, Zell lowered his arms back down to his side.

"Okay," the auburn haired girl said carefully, almost like she couldn't believe she was saying what she was. It was becoming more and more apparent that she was in charge out of this outfit of SeeDs. "You're good… for _now_. So what do you want?"

"I gotta find the headmaster!" Zell exclaimed before his mental censor could stop him. By the time he realized his error, he was too late and soon the SeeDs were crowding him, their hands and weapons raised.

"I _knew _it," the auburn haired girl practically snarled.

"It's not what it sounds like," Zell said almost desperately, wishing that he hadn't put his foot in his mouth _again_. "I'm not looking for him to _kill _him! I'm looking for him 'cuz if I don't, people are gonna get hurt."

"Yeah, right," one of the SeeDs to his right said flatly. Like the others, he made no move to rectify his stance. "Like you wouldn't say anything to get to him. Looks like he picked a side after all."

"The headmaster's not here!" The black girl blurted out.

"_Shelby_!" The auburn haired girl snapped, her gaze turned towards the student.

"If he was gonna betray you guys, he wouldn't have even bothered to tackle the Garden Master supporter!" Shelby argued. Zell realized that she kept looking down but had no idea what that was about. He wasn't exactly in a position to ask about it either.

"He could've been sent to gather information," another SeeD said.

Shelby snorted, despite the glares she was facing down. There was still fear in her mannerisms but it appeared as though she wasn't about to let that stop her. "Please, you honestly think they're that smart? I think they would have tried something like that already. Trust me when I say we can trust _him_." She inclined her chin as though she were pointing at the brawler. "Even if he _does_ speak before thinking."

She turned her attention back towards Zell, almost intent on saying her peace before any of the SeeDs around them could stop her. "He's not in here, but no one knows where. We've been making out like he's hiding in the back, but he's not."

Zell scowled but tried to control his temper, because he knew if he gave the other SeeDs any sign that he was going to attack, they wouldn't hesitated to do so before he got the chance. "Okay, so then where is he?"

"No one knows," the auburn haired SeeD said through a sigh. She lowered her hand, and this seemed to encourage the other SeeDs to do the same. He was hoping it would be for the last time. "We've been fortifying the Garden and making it harder for the Garden Master goons to find Headmaster Kramer. The plan is to make the Garden Master _think _he's hiding in here so we can ambush him."

The SeeDs around him moved away and Zell realized after a moment that they were working on detaining the cadets they had managed to knock out. The auburn haired girl inclined her head behind her and seconds later they SeeDs were hauling the unconscious students into the next area. "As you can see, it's been working like a charm. We appreciate the help, by the way. We figured that we wouldn't stand a chance if they attacked us all at once. The students have us outnumbered at least fifty to one. It doesn't help that most of our people are away on missions. We're SeeDs, not miracle workers."

Zell couldn't help but nod thoughtfully as he listened to the operation. He would never claim to be an expert on strategy since, after all, that was Squall and Quistis' department, but the plan did seem sound. And with them detaining the people who had ultimately fallen for the ambush, they were thinning out the number of Norg's supporters until they had a reasonable chance of winning in a skirmish.

"You like the idea, huh?" Another SeeD member asked as he passed him by, dragging an unconscious student by his legs as he went almost effortlessly, a sign that he was also junctioned. More than likely all of the SeeDs standing here were. "Too bad we can't lay claim to it. Nobody here came up with it."

"Then who did?" Zell asked hurriedly. He didn't doubt that whoever did come up with the plan probably knew where the headmaster was holding up and the sooner he found _them, _the sooner they could start evacuating. Still, if it turned out the headmaster himself came up with the idea, then things were about to get that much more difficult. "The headmaster?"

"Yeah, okay…" the auburn haired girl snorted. She tried to compose herself but her eyes still glinted in amusement. "Sorry, we all know the headmaster's a smart man, but I doubt even _he _could've worked up such a plan in such a short amount of time. This kind of operation was done up on the fly and, unfortunately, the headmaster isn't that quick on his feet. No offense meant to him of course."

"It was the Lieutenant's idea," Shelby spoke up and when Zell turned to regard her, he could see a wistful expressing in her features. It wasn't anything romantic or even sexually inspiring, more like an apostle worshipping someone far out of reach of their own stature. "She just burst in here, told us what to do and then left just as quickly. If anyone knows where the headmaster's hiding out, then _she's _your best bet."

"You know where she is?" Zell asked.

Shelby shook her head, the auburn haired SeeD shrugged but it was one of the male SeeDs who answered his question. "She's been running around all over the place, giving as much back up as she can to the rest of us, but she's keeping on the run to keep the goons from nabbing her. No one really knows where _she _is either. Hey, you have any idea who the hell this Garden Master is?"

But Zell was barely paying attention anymore. Upon learning his answer, the brawler had hightailed it out of the library as quickly as he could manage. While it had been necessary, he felt like he'd wasted a lot of time in that dead end, and now the Lieutenant could be anywhere. But at least he was better off than he had been _before _the library. Knowing the headmaster was in hiding, the elder man wouldn't have moved from his safe spot and without a clue as to where that spot was it would've taken ages to find him. Knowing know that the Lieutenant, the _only _person in the building who knew where he was, was running around throwing assistance to those who supported Headmaster Kramer, made it easier because he had a better chance of running into _her _than he did stumbling upon the headmaster's hiding spot.

Besides, Lieutenant Xu wasn't the Lieutenant for nothing. She'd trained hard for her position and had proven herself again and again in the field. He'd heard stories about her from his days as a cadet and, like most, he felt proud to be led by someone so capable. Of course she would come up with a plan like this, something to ensure the headmaster's safety above all else, one that would buy their supporters enough time to weed out Norg's supporters and hand them the victory that would put an end to this ridiculous.

"Zell!" A voice called from behind him. "Wait!"

Startled, Zell skidded to a stop, half expecting one of the SeeDs behind him to want to join up with him but the voice told him something different. When he turned around though, he was shocked to find one of the three students who had been hiding behind the counter tailing after him. Unlike Shelby, this girl was meek, almost timid, her hair in a long pigtail who couldn't be older than sixteen. Not only did he realize she had been the girl who had ducked down and out of sight, he recognized her as another member of the Library Committee.

Still, it surprised him that she, out of anyone, was following after him. She was shaking like a leaf and didn't look at all like she was a fighting type. Even now that she had his attention she looked nervous, fidgeting slightly, more than likely anxious about the whole situation. If she was so scared, then why the hell had she run from the library in the first place?

"Um…" She stammered, almost alarmed to be the subject of his gaze. "I was… well, I was… _wondering… _if… if there was anything I could do to… you know… _help _find the Lieutenant…"

Zell stared at her blankly for a minute wondering if she was joking. But when she looked away, looking all embarrassed he couldn't help but wonder why the hell she was acting all self-conscious. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to ask or to find out why, but he wasn't going anywhere before he found out her reasons for tagging along. "Why?"

She looked up at him in alarm when he asked the question and looked like she couldn't speak. Zell couldn't help but feel confused, knowing that it was a matter of being a simple question and yet she was acting like he'd asked her to drill a hole in her head. "W-well…" She started awkwardly as soon as she found her voice. "You said that… that people would get hurt if you didn't find Headmaster Kramer. T-that sounds _really _important… so…"

When Zell nodded in agreement she looked like she'd lost her train of thought but she managed to recover it quicker than he had expected. "S-so… you can't find him unless you find the Lieutenant, right?"

"So you know where she is?" Zell asked, wondering why she hadn't mentioned it before. Shy or not, that seemed to be the kind of information you _didn't _just sit on.

She started suddenly at his question before shaking her head forcefully, forcing her bangs and her pigtail to flop from left to right. "N-no! I don't!" She said frantically before bowing forward apologetically. Now instead of the stutter she was speaking quickly, almost too quickly for him to catch what she was saying. "I didn't mean to give you that impression. I just thought that there was strength in numbers and that you could use all the help you could get…"

She squeaked slightly before bowing lower. Zell leaned back slightly, thinking that if she bent down even lower, her head might just touch her toes. "That's not to say you couldn't handle them all by yourself! You look really really strong and the way you handled the other students back there when they tried to sneak up on you—!"

"Hey!" A voice sounded from behind. "I found someone!"

The suddenness of the speaker caused the poor girl to wince as she rose up ramrod straight. The action was done so quickly Zell was surprised she wasn't suffering from whip-lash. Meanwhile, Zell turned to look past the girl – where the sound had originated from – only to see that more cadets were headed in their direction.

Zell cursed before he dropped low into a defensive stance once he'd stepped forward and in front of the library girl. But then a sudden squeak from behind had him turn marginally, only to see that there were even _more _students headed for them from the direction he had been headed. Cursing again, the brawler was beginning to realize that he absolutely _loathed _being surrounded. They didn't have time for this. "Get outta here!" Zell shouted as he waved his arm in the air to give emphasis to his point.

"Get 'em!" One of the approaching cadets shouted, completely ignoring Zell's shouts seconds before the students began their charge towards what appeared to be two unarmed individuals.

"You know how to fight, right?" Zell asked hopefully, despite feeling like he already knew the answer. When the girl shook her head, his stomach dropped as he realized he would be on his own on this one.

So with a deep intake of breath, Zell did what any rational blonde-haired martial artist would've done in his place. Squaring his shoulders, Zell charged forward with a war cry before leaping the slowly decreasing distance between himself and the advancing students. Throwing his fists out in front of him, he caught two of the charging cadets in the jaw before bringing up his leg and kicking another in the head, all before he touched the floor.

As he landed into a crouch, Zell avoided the sideways cleave to the head from what looked like it could've been a giant butcher knife. Kicking out, he caught the attacking cadet in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and propelling him into his buddies. While he was busy recovering, the brawler swept his foot out from under the guy to his left, forcing him off his feet and pressing down another three cadets in the process.

He was jarred from his movements when he heard a scream from behind. Cursing, he turned around just as one of the cadets grabbed a hold of the library girl. But before Zell could respond, that same cadet suddenly cried out in pain, clutching at his hand with a long-ass needle poking right through the palm. For her part, the pigtailed girl backed away and out of reach of him and his buddies.

Zell called for her to get closer and, when she complied, he noticed that clenched tightly into her right hand were a pack of the same long-ass needles. Deciding to ask her about them later, he quickly grabbed her arm and started towards the training centre, knocking the cadets in his path out of the way before they could deter them. The girl managed to keep close as they forced their way through the river of teenagers until they finally managed to break away from them completely. Then, with nothing else baring their path, they started at a run down the hallway that led right inside the Monsters' Den…

* * *

**12/17/2011 - **_Again, all the changes made in this chapter are a direct reference to the ONE change I made in the previous one. Change one little thing and the whole universe explodes, it would seem. _

_So I was upset that I had to take out the big foreshadowing bit with the students from the previous chapter so I added it into another fight scene in front of the infirmary. But I just had to blow the wind from Squall's sails as Dr. Kadowaki broke up the show almost too easily. _

_Also, I'm well aware that the information about the fasticalons I used in this chapter say that they are land sharks, but to me that doesn't mean they can't thrive in water environments either, and since there's very few water monsters in the game I can exploit, they were the ones dumped into the pools throughout the Garden. And I'm also quite aware that they are portrayed to be more similar to piranha than sharks, but I think I can take creative license on this one since these were the smaller guys (even though the distinction in their names are an addition 'F' for the smaller onces but again, creative license). Hope you enjoyed it regardless._


	22. Chapter XX: Danger Zone

**Edited: **_06/28/10_

* * *

**Chapter XX:  
Danger Zone**

* * *

The infirmary was _exactly _how she had pictured it. The walls were an off white with a mere calendar decorating its surface. The floor, of which she had expected to see a solid white, was carpeted. The pink rug that covered the entire surface of the floor reminded Rinoa of the long pink stripe that had led to this location. It gave the otherwise bland looking room some life. Looking up at the ceiling, she was also surprised to find the symbol she had seen on a flag outside the building decorating the very centre, looking very much like someone had emblazoned it by hand while balanced on a step ladder. She did not envy the artist, who had most definitely been working in the right place should he have fallen and hurt himself.

Along the left hand side of the infirmary were cubicles that had been outfitted into rooms for potential patients. There were plenty of injured bodies to fill the beds that each room possessed.

Because her injuries were relatively minor (a thought that had shocked her because she could have sworn they had been anything but), Rinoa found herself seated on a bench that looked more like it was a makeshift sofa. The padding was far softer than she would have given it credit and she was sorely tempted to just lie down and take advantage of the luxury of comfort, but she forced herself to sit upright as she waited for the doctor. She'd already had a very brief inspection from the older woman (whose nametag identified her as Dr. Kadowaki) who had left them to wait while she tended to everyone else who needed her attention.

To her right, Squall stood posted at the door, his arms folded across his chest and a scowl settling his features that deepened as the minutes passed. She couldn't tell if it was from impatience or boredom but she kept finding herself checking up on him regardless. It was after the fifth time that she realized she should have been busted, that he should have caught her staring at him. Had he done so, he would have pointedly asked her what she was looking at or what she was doing, and yet he just stood there.

She wondered briefly if he had just fallen asleep standing up. She knew it was possible but somehow doubted that this was the case. For starters, his scowl kept deepening and unless he was permanently programed to frown she figured it was a sign that he was still awake. It was after coming to this conclusion that she made a discovery. His gaze seemed far away, like he wasn't actually staring at the clock on the wall opposite him but staring _through _it.

That was when she thought up another possibility to her comrade's silence. He was thinking. More like brooding from the looks of it. Rinoa didn't doubt that he was worried about the Garden, about wasting this time waiting when they could be out searching for the Headmaster. Why they were even waiting for the doctor, Rinoa had no clue, since it was obvious that Cid wasn't anywhere in this room, but figured that Squall wanted to make sure.

That was when she noticed the room at the far end of the infirmary, a door that looked like it slid open like everything else in the Garden. The lights were on, but the door was closed and somehow Rinoa got the sneaking suspicion that it was locked too. She wondered if maybe the elder man was hiding in there, but considered that it might not be the case. Somehow she got the feeling it was be just as easy to find the elder man locked in the doctor's main office as it would be to find him hiding in his own.

Suddenly bored with thinking to herself, counting the nonexistent holes drilled into the ceiling and tracing the outline of what was probably the SeeD symbol along the ceiling with her eyes, Rinoa turned her attention to her unaware comrade and as lightly as she could manage she poked him in the leg.

He started somewhat, blinking as he looked around for the cause. All he seemed to find was Rinoa, who had raised her hands in her defence as she spied him reaching for the gunblade. Dammit, couldn't these SeeDs take a joke or something? Confusion creased his features and Rinoa held back a giggle, thinking that he looked adorable. Shaking the sudden thought away, she grinned widely at his expense before patting the empty spot next to her. "Don't look like such a statue. You can sit down, you know."

Not surprisingly, Squall shook his head before directing his gaze forward again. Rinoa sighed. "Afraid you'll fall asleep sitting up?"

A slight shift in his posture was the only response she got out of him. Rinoa took it as an answer and she leaned back against the wall, stretching her feet out in front of her. "Yeah, I don't blame you. This thing is deceptively comfortable. I thought it'd have springs poking at me but no, it _had_ to lie to me."

She looked up at him, flashing him a grin when she saw that he'd raised an eyebrow. It was at least a sign that he was actually listening to her despite his appearance at trying to ignore her. But then he straightened up and moved away from the wall, his arms dropping at his sides and Rinoa realized that something had drawn his attention. She followed his gaze and spotted Dr. Kadowaki moving towards them. Rising to her feet, Rinoa subconsciously followed Squall's example.

Without speaking, the older woman inclined her head towards her office as she reached the halfway point to their position before turning around and heading right for it. The pair followed suit.

Once they were inside and the door was closed, Rinoa couldn't help but wonder what it was with SeeDs and plain-looking surroundings? Again the only thing that gave life to the room with off-white walls was the red rug that seemingly flowed in from under the door. However, said walls were also decorated with framed diplomas and certifications Dr. Kadowaki must've received throughout her career. Her desk, which Rinoa had expected to have been the wooden abomination the General had in his manor, was actually a glass surface propped up by two blue circular legs, one on either side. Another glass surface was set up a few inches below the top and held what looked to be a keyboard, with the monitor to her computer sitting just to the right. It was a kind of computer Rinoa had never seen before, blue in colour and practically round instead of the square instruments she was used to seeing. Across from it on the desk was a long necked lamp that looked like it could stretch out and bask light over the aforementioned keyboard.

Shaking her head and mentally chastising herself for allowing her thoughts to drift and become distracted, Rinoa sat into the chair the doctor gesture towards. Squall did not follow suit, instead leaning against the opposite wall as the doctor closed the blinds of the windows looking into the room.

Before the doctor could say anything, Squall beat her to it. "Where's the headmaster?"

"You think I would know?" Dr. Kadowaki asked with what sounded like a verbal shrug. Once she was finished drawing the blinds she turned around and folded her arms across her chest.

"Do you?" Rinoa asked as she leaned forward.

"What do you think?" The doctor asked in turn before sighing lightly.

Rinoa pursed her lips before turning to regard Squall. He nodded almost reassuringly and Rinoa turned her attention back towards the doctor. "I think that if you thought we were going to hurt him you wouldn't tell us anything. But we're not here for that, honest."

"We just want to talk to him," Squall added.

"I know," Dr. Kadowaki said and Rinoa was startled. If she believed that they meant the headmaster no harm, then why was she being so difficult? Seemingly reading her mind, she answered. "And if there was anyone I'd trust more not to bring Headmaster Kramer any harm, it'd be you. But I can say for sure that I have no idea where he is but that he's safe where he's hiding and the SeeDs you saw defending this place are trying to keep it that way."

She moved to stand behind her desk before sitting down, her arms returning to their crossed position against her chest. "Now, what exactly is going on?"

"We don't know anything about this Garden Master?" Rinoa exclaimed, wondering why everyone assumed they were in the know. "We just got back to the Garden and everyone was acting all crazy and…"

The doctor closed her eyes and suddenly raised her hand, her fingers pointed at the ceiling in what was clearly a signal to stop. Rinoa cut herself off suddenly, confused by the action. But when the elder woman spoke, it clarified things. "I know you don't know a thing. What I'm asking is what is so important that you risk bringing an outsider into the Garden and involving her in this nonsense?"

That was when Rinoa realized the doctor hadn't been talking to her at all and she swivelled in her chair to look back at Squall, who had only just moved away from the wall and was now standing beside it rather than leaning against it. He seemed to have come to the same conclusion, or at least had suspected it was coming. The lack of surprise in his features seemed to force her opinion towards the latter thought, though Squall barely allowed his thoughts to bleed out into his features so she might as well have been shooting in the dark.

But what surprised _her _the most was the label the doctor had used to identify Rinoa. It stung to be called an outsider, but in actuality that was exactly what she was. And based on how the doctor had spoken, outsiders weren't normally permitted within the Garden. Rinoa could read between the lines, and gathered that the exception was more than likely the SeeD ball she had attended. Her first concern was that she was getting both Squall and Zell into trouble for even being here, but she pushed the thought away, knowing that they had bigger problems.

Squall seemed to agree, because he seemingly ignored the doctor's comment about outsiders and went straight to the heart of the matter. "Galbadia has launched missiles at the Gardens, both Trabia and Balamb. We don't have much time to explain the situation, but we're searching for the headmaster to warn him and to get the rest of the Garden evacuated."

At the news, the colour drained from the elder woman's face and she gripped the surface of the desk in front of her, more than likely in a means of bracing herself. Even as Squall continued his explanation, the doctor had looked away and stared at the wall, appearing to be lost in her thoughts though somehow Rinoa had the distinct impression that she was listening to every word. "Alright, I'll do what I can to help you."

"You believe us?" Rinoa asked in disbelief. She had expected some resistance but this sudden acceptance set her off her guard.

The doctor appeared to not appreciate the question, because she fixed her with a look that clearly read 'what I can't believe is that you're asking me that question'. "Young lady, I have known that young man," she pointed at Squall, "since he was a small child and in the years that I have known him, he is not one to make up stories, _specifically_ about situations like this _while _situations like this are happening."

Rinoa looked down at her hands, not knowing whether to be offended at being chastised for asking a simple question or embarrassed that she'd even asked it. Meanwhile, the doctor just powered on through, regardless of Rinoa's reaction or response. "Like I said, I don't know where the headmaster's hiding, but if anyone would know, it'd be the Lieutenant. I suggest you find her and get her to take you to him, though chances are you'll have an easier time of doing that than you will of finding her. She's been giving the students the run around, never staying in one place long enough for them to catch her."

Rinoa rose to her feet, taking that as their cue to leave. She made for the door, but Squall's voice stopped her in her tracks. "My suggestion would be to start evacuating the Garden. Get as many people out of the building as you can, and then get out yourself."

"I'll start working on the evacuation," Dr. Kadowaki said, and she had that tone of voice that said she wasn't about to argue. "But I'm staying right here. Who else is gonna take care of the injured?" She gestured outside of the office, towards the rows of cordoned off cubicles filled with the injured students and SeeDs from before.

Rinoa wanted to argue that there wouldn't be much point of taking care of the injured if everyone was dead, but Squall suddenly urged her on, thanked the doctor for her time and soon both of them had left the office. She tried to question him about his actions but he purposely ignored her and it wasn't until they were standing back out into the hallway outside the infirmary that she managed to get in front of him and bar his path. "Just what the hell was that? You told her about the missiles and you're not even gonna try to change her mind? It's suicide to stay behind, even if it is to help the injured!"

"It would've been a waste of time trying to convince her otherwise," Squall said pointedly. "She's as stubborn as you are, once she's made up her mind she sticks with it."

Rinoa went to argue but this time Squall cut her off. "And besides, the more time arguing the point, the less time we have to find the Lieutenant and the Headmaster."

When Squall manoeuvred around her to continue down the hall, Rinoa let him, biting her lip as she realized he was right. As much as she thought it was heartless to leave the doctor to her fate, it was the doctor's choice to make and they didn't have the time they would need to talk her down. So it was with a heavy sigh that the raven-haired girl went after him to continue their search. She hoped that Zell was at least having some progress.

* * *

When the hallway expanded and the floor beneath their feet shifted from metal to grass, he ducked around the corner, hauling the library girl along with him. She made a startled gasping sound but had enough sense to cut it off as they crouched along the wall behind them. Poking his head out into the open, Zell spotted their pursuers further along and out into the ring hallway that was the centre of the Garden. They appeared almost confused by their sudden disappearance, but he knew that wasn't about to last for long. It was only a matter of time before they started searching the Training Centre.

He let out a sigh as he turned to rest his back against the wall. Beside him, the library girl was breathing heavily, her head propped against the wall behind her. She wasn't junctioned, that much the brawler could tell but his gaze went to her hand and he spied multiple needles in her grip, the same kinds that he saw sticking out of one of their pursuers' hand. Taking another look out into the hall to make sure they still had some time, he returned his gaze to her. "I thought you said you didn't fight?"

The girl started somewhat and looked at him in confusion. "I-I don't," she squeaked, looking as nervous as ever.

"Then what's up with the long ass needles?" Zell asked, pointing at her hand.

The girl looked down and the confusion disappeared from her features as her eyes lit up in understanding. "These are special needles used for acupuncturing purposes. My parents run an acupuncture shop in Balamb Town, and I'm sort of being trained to follow the family business. Shannon wanted to know more about acupuncture so I brought them in to show her."

Zell didn't profess to know much about acupuncture himself, but he knew enough to get by, like that it was an old healing practice where needles were pushed into parts of the body to restore or maintain health. It had a lot to do about energy, and the needles were used to stimulate certain parts of the body to cause said part to heal. What he hadn't realized was that you could use it as a weapon as well, and he'd never thought it could induce pain. Maybe it had something to do with pressure points, or maybe the needles were sharp enough to be used as weapons. Either way, he wasn't about to argue with the results.

"She's over here!" A male voice suddenly yelled from up ahead and, acting on instinct alone, Zell propelled himself to the side, knocking the library girl over in his haste to get behind the foliage that had been propped up against the wall. He covered the library girl's mouth to keep her from making a sound but he knew somehow that whoever was talking hadn't spotted the library girl.

Looking through the brush as he wiped away the sweat that formed along his brow, Zell spotted one of the Garden Faculty with three people who were in their cadet uniforms. But then he spotted someone else with them, a dark haired, dark skinned woman in a SeeD uniform, but that was as much as he could tell about her from his vantage point. At first, his hopes were dashed, since he'd thought they might have found the Lieutenant, but that was when he realized she wasn't alone.

Seemingly hidden behind her like she was using her body as a shield were two figures, a boy in blue and a girl in a pink striped dress with red pants. He couldn't tell how old they were without getting closer, but somehow this didn't bode well if she was hiding them behind her

"It's one of the Headmaster's SeeDs," the Garden Faculty was saying to his cohorts, completely oblivious to the presence of spectators. Beside him, the library girl gulped and Zell couldn't fault her for being scared, not when she'd never been in any kind of combat. Still, it was aggravating, because he knew that as good as he was he was going to need all the help he could get.

It made him wonder why the hell she thought she could help him by tagging along.

The two cadets were just coming forward, and the SeeD shifted defensively as one of them spoke, almost like she was trying to hide something. "She's got two juniorclassmen with her."

The look on the SeeD's face remained the same but the colour had drained from her features from the announcement. Zell in turn frowned grimly, realizing that things had just gotten more complicated. He guessed the SeeD had been trying to lead the kids to safety when she got cornered by the Garden Faculty goons, but it most definitely did not bode well for her should she be forced to defend herself.

Unfortunately he was in a position where there wasn't much he could do from his current position. Even if he shot off a spell and somehow managed to take out one of the advancing cadets, there was still the other goon and somehow he got the feeling he shouldn't count out the Garden Faculty. But if he went for the latter first, the two goons would probably jump him before he could come up with a proper defence or, worse, take one of the kids' hostage. He wanted to think it wouldn't come down to the latter, but somehow he thought it'd be smart to keep the thought in mind

But he couldn't just stand there and wait for the goons to make their move either, and he sure as hell couldn't just hope that the SeeD could somehow figure out a way out of this mess. And he sure as hell couldn't just stay there, because the cadets who were coming after them would eventually find them, and then the odds would really be stacked against them.

_Squall would know what to do,_ Zell thought miserably. So far, the other SeeD had proven he could think under fire, thinking outside the box and use whatever he had at his arsenal to turn the situation around. But Squall was not here. He and Rinoa were searching for the headmaster and were counting on Zell to do the same. He would have to come up with an escape by himself.

Stay and bide his time until the other cadets found him, or to jump out of the brush and make matters worse? It was decision time, and Zell had to make his choice quickly…

* * *

"You have one more chance, SeeD," the Garden Faculty said menacingly. "It's a chance to save yourself as well as the juniorclassmen. All you need to do is tell us the whereabouts of Headmaster Kramer."

Tanya bit her lip, wishing against everything that she had continued straight on instead of veering off to the left like she had. Beside her, Alexandra whimpered, burying her head in her uniform shirt and she patted her head reassuringly. She didn't know where the Headmaster was, and even if she did, she sure as hell wasn't going to tell them.

"Screw you," Billy shouted as he darted out from behind Tanya. She gasped in shock and tried to pull him back behind her, but he wasn't having it. He was a rambunctious kid with bounds of energy. He would have to be if he ran laps around the Garden every day. "We're not afraid of you! I'll take you _all _on, all by myself."

The cadets who were with the Garden Faculty laughed at the outburst. They were much older than Billy's ten years, and they weren't at all intimidated by the threat. "Yeah, right…" one of them chided. "That's a good one. You should be a stand up comedian, kid. You'd earn millions."

"And who says I'm kidding?" Billy said as he rolled up his sleeves. The t-shirt he wore was two sizes too big, and the sleeves simply fell back down against his elbows once more. "I haven't been training all this time for nothing. Let's see what you greenies got."

"Well, if you insist," one of the cadets said as he loomed towards Billy. Tanya shouted for Billy to stop, but the boy wasn't listening. He stood his ground, waiting for the cadet's first move.

"You _have_ to stop this!" Tanya shouted at the Garden Faculty, who looked as though he was watching the whole scene out of boredom. Then again, Tanya couldn't tell anything from behind the hood; for all she knew he could be enjoying the show.

"_I _don't _have_ to do _anything_," the Garden Faculty sniffed cruelly. "It's _you_ who has the power to stop this. All you need do is to reveal where that coward Kramer is hiding and you can all go free."

Tanya gaped at him, wondering if he had gone insane or if the whole of the faculty had been like that from the start. She bit her lip harder, almost hard enough to draw blood. She was stuck. She couldn't betray the Headmaster, but he wouldn't want one of the young children to be sacrificed on his behalf either.

Whoever this Garden Master was, he certain knew that, but he was a fool if he thought SeeD would give up easily.

Before she could respond however, she caught the sight of movement from in front of her. Billy ducked down low, causing the kick that would have knocked his head off his shoulders to pass harmlessly overhead before he lashed out with a fist, catching his attacker in the groin. The cadet shrieked loudly before cupping himself and falling onto his knees, all the while Billy laughed loudly in response.

"You're about a million years too young to stand up against the likes of me," Billy jeered before laughing some more. Behind her, Alexandra giggled, and even Tanya couldn't help the smiling from creasing her features. "If that's all you've got, then you might as well walk away now, because you'll _never_ defeat the likes of me!"

"You little asshole!" The cadet roared. His voice was noticeably higher than it was a moment ago, and he balled a fist intending to throw it into Billy's face.

Tanya suddenly caught more movement and all of a sudden someone was standing in front of Billy. He took the shot to the face, and his head even turned with the action, causing spittle to hit the grassy floor nearby. Billy appeared to be just as shocked as the Tanya was, and she was even more surprised when the other person simply wiped at his mouth and laughed. She recognized him then and there, and wondered just where in the hell he had come from.

"Pussies like you _have _to resort on picking on little kids," Zell declared as he spat onto the ground. He followed up by dropping into a crouch, his fists balled and his feet squared. "You can't get your jollies otherwise, since of course you'd lose in a real fight anyhow."

"Eat my fist, asshole," the other cadet said before he hauled off.

"No don't!" The first cadet shouted and Tanya realized he was cradling his hand; it was almost like he'd hurt it when he'd punched Zell in the face. "He's junctioned!"

The warning got out too late. By the time the second cadet understood the import of those words, his fist had already connected with Zell's forehead, and a loud crack reverberated around the forest-like surroundings. That crack was followed by a high pitched scream and soon he too was cradling his hand as though he'd punched a wall.

Tanya guessed that, in a sense, he had.

"Another one of Cid's followers?" The Garden Faculty member spat before he withdrew his whistle. Before Zell or Tanya could react, the man blew onto the contraption, eliciting a shrill noise that filled the air. Zell winced slightly at the sound just as the Faculty ran off in the opposite direction.

"Where's he think _he's_ going?" Zell asked. Tanya shrugged in response.

"Dunno," she said in response. "But thanks for the help all the same."

"Zell!"

The brawler turned around to see another girl with long brown hair in a ponytail wearing a cadet uniform running towards him from the spot along the wall and frowned slightly. From the looks of it, he must have told this girl to stay put while he put the goons in their place. She stopped right in front of him, a look of concern creasing her features. "Are you alright?"

"O'course," Zell exclaimed. "Some punk who's gonna pick on a little kid's not gonna be able to lay a finger on me unless I let him. And oh boy did I let 'em; think I broke both their hands without even breaking a sweat. We'd all better get outta here before those reinforcements show up. Wonder what's takin' 'em so long?"

"Like we needed you around," Billy said confidently, ignoring the elder boy's words of caution. Tanya hushed him, but he ignored her. "I coulda taken care of those goons all by myself. I could probably take care of you too."

"What?" Zell shouted in outrage before Tanya crouched down next to Billy.

"Billy, this guy's a SeeD like me. Are you sure about that?"

Billy blinked at the sudden declaration, but before anyone could make any comments, the ground shook beneath them. Alexandra clung onto Tanya as hard as she could while Billy tried to stay balanced but barely managed the feat. Zell and the cadet girl exchanged glances between one another and Tanya swallowed the lump that formed in her throat; whatever was causing the tremors was gonna be big and she had a pretty good idea of what exactly it was.

And then through the doors behind Tanya emerged the one thing she had been dreading. The creature looked like a dinosaur, possessing hind legs that were massive while its front were small and useless stubs sprouting from its chest. It was brown in colouring, and at least thirty metres tall. The ceiling in the Training Centre had been made taller in order to accommodate the large creature. Moreover, it was the biggest and most dangerous monster they had living in the Training Centre.

The T-Rexaur apprised the group of five standing before it before it let off a massive roar and lunged forward, its mouth opening wide in preparation of eating them whole.

Everyone dodged in different directions avoiding the attack, causing the enormous monster to swallow air instead. Zell, having rolled out of the line of fire, emerged in a crouching formation and threw his arms out in front of him. An instant later, a spike of ice protruded from beneath the ground and pierced the dinosaur. Its skin was tough, and the attack only resulted in lightly wounding the creature and making it mad.

"You guys go ahead. I'll distract it!" He shouted. "Go!"

Tanya nodded and guided the juniorclassmen to follow her. Billy and Alexandra needed no coaxing and they ran off at full pelt, the female SeeD looking back at the dinosaur as she ran after them, hoping against hope that they made it out okay.

* * *

"Fuck," Zell cursed as the T-Rexaur snapped his mouth at him. He was barely able to dodge before he lost a foot. "A fucking T-Rexaur. Just fucking perfect!"

"Run Zell!" A voice shouted and when he looked around, he caught sight of Alicia (he'd asked her name before instructing her to stay where she was). She hadn't run off like the others and was picking up stones instead. He was about to tell her that now was not the time to start collecting rocks when she started throwing them at the big beast. The rocks hit the T-Rexaur in the face and chest before it roared, causing Alicia to flinch and drop her ammunition.

Cursing, Zell turned his back to the T-Rexaur and, grabbing a hold of Alicia's hand, ran for the exit. It didn't take Alicia very long to realize what they were doing and even less encouragement to keep running, but the thundering and quaking sounds behind him told the brawler that the T-Rexaur was gaining on them and covering much more ground than they were.

Nevertheless, they reached the entrance of the Training Centre and Zell directed them to head right. Remarkably enough, the crowd of cadets had thinned considerably and the brawler had a feeling that was the other SeeD's doing. Alicia didn't argue with the choice of direction and the pair ran down the hall, shouting at anyone who was in the vicinity – Garden Master or Headmaster faction regardless – to get out of harm's way. Whether they did or not was moot, because Zell wasn't planning on sticking around long enough to find out.

He heard what sounded like an explosion from behind and saw that the T-Rexaur had ploughed through the top of the entrance of the Training Centre as though it was made out of play-dough. The bits of plaster that had made up the supports broke apart as they hit the ground with such a force he could hear it over the sudden shouts and screams from the people around them. He quickly ushered Alicia to snap out of the shocked daze she was in before starting at a run again. He could hear the T-Rexaur snarl and roar uncaringly at the debris and mess it had caused before it continued along its way. They made it to the curve around the Garage when Alicia suddenly slowed down. When he looked around he saw her cradling a stitch in her right side. With a frustrated noise, he grabbed her other arm and proceeded to force her to keep moving, despite the pained gasp he received in response. It would've _really_ come in handy if she had at least learned to Junction a GF at some point during her tenure in Garden.

But that didn't keep the brawler from running. They made it past the entrance to the Garage, and he kept at the pace. Finding the Headmaster or not, his and Alicia's lives were first and foremost in his mind, and the T-Rexaur was quickly gaining speed. From the looks of it, the monster wasn't about to lose sight of them either, even amidst the students and other SeeDs that were currently populating the hallways.

* * *

"What was _that_?" Rinoa asked suddenly.

After leaving the infirmary, both she and Squall headed for the quad, where they encountered monsters attacking a group of SeeDs who were hiding out there. In all her life, Rinoa had not seen nearly as many monsters as she had in the last two months, but she was definitely seeing all kinds and different types in the Garden. Monster plants that spat acid, giant wasps with long whipping tails that threw large armadillo-like monsters (though not nearly as large as the ones from the tomb) and floating ice monsters that shot beams of light in their direction, and those were just the ones she'd seen in the hall. There were also floating red heads that exploded if left alone (or so Squall told her), giant caterpillars that spit webs in their direction and fly-monsters who buzzing sounded like a lawn mower.

After convincing the SeeDs that they weren't there to hurt them and confirming that the Lieutenant wasn't hiding out in the quad, they started back up the stairs that led to the hallway. But as soon as they reached the very top set of stairs they heard the noises that reminded her of the quake spell the Brothers GF had summoned back in the Tomb of the Unknown King. For a second, she thought the missiles had arrived and were bombing the Garden as they stood there, but all the same she wasn't entirely sure that was actually the case. For starters, no one else had felt the rupturing and the chaos was still ensuring all around them, not to mention the lack of the sudden fires as the missiles tore the apart the ceiling above their heads. In fact, the explosions themselves sounded like they were coming from the opposite side of the Garden, and they were more like stomping rather than metal tearing. Instantly, she was reminded that Zell had gone in that direction.

Something was not right.

Squall didn't answer her question and instead the pair ran back out into the hall to find students and SeeDs alike running around in a panic, almost like they were terrified. That was a sight that startled Rinoa, who had thought that the best of the mercenary forces were made of steel, seemingly without emotion. Now she realized that everyone succumbed to fear, but she most definitely didn't want to have to meet whatever it was that was getting the trained professionals terrified.

But almost to prove that fate disregarded her wishes and desires, she heard a loud roar that sent tremors through the air, and the screams and sounds of metal clashing that indicated a struggle. That was followed closely by the sight of people, SeeDs and cadets alike, working together as they guided everyone away. Rinoa was left feeling confused, recalling that there had been a line drawn in the sand that had made them all enemies. Again the dread filled her, knowing that something big was happening to cause them to cross those lines and treat each other like they were on the same team once again.

And the worst part of it all was the quaking that she and Squall had felt seconds before was getting stronger, which meant whatever was causing the tremors was headed their way.

Rinoa didn't like the implications of just what the hell was approaching them, but having already disregarded what else it could have been, her only remaining option wasn't a pleasant one. Moreover, it would prove that holding monsters in the very place students resided was a horrible idea. But as she made to ask her question and to confirm her suspicions, Squall spoke, beating her to the punch. "T-Rexaur."

"What?" Rinoa asked. She didn't turn to look at him, the anxiety that was rising forcing her to keep her eyes trained ahead of her, in the very direction the sounds were coming from, steadily growing louder.

"It's the biggest monster in the Training Centre," Squall elaborated. "It's the only creature I can think of that can produce a sound that loud."

Before she could add anything, someone screamed further down the hall. Rinoa almost jumped out of her skin because the voice was so familiar that it caused the dread that had already built up with the knowledge of the advancing monster in their direction to intensify. Without another word between them, the pair ran forward, if only to investigate further.

What they found as they ran past the by the front of the cafeteria though caused them to stop in their tracks. A huge lumbering monster Rinoa could only guess was the T-Rexaur Squall mentioned stormed its way across the halls. With sharp pointed teeth covered in dribbling saliva and mean looking eyes, the danger that oozed off its whole being was enough to keep her rooted to the spot, much like a deer caught by the headlights of an oncoming car. It was huge, standing as tall as the elevator post up the steps to its right and its head looked about the size of Dr. Kadowaki's office. It roared menacingly, shooting spit that covered the ground in front of it.

And directly ahead of this horrifying creature was Zell with another cadet, who looked to be the targets of this monster.

While never having seen one before, Rinoa had learned about different types of monsters in her history class, and this made the situation all the more impossible to contend with. Looking at their pictures in a history book was one thing but being up close and personal with one was completely different, especially when taking into account that this particular creature was more than likely to eat you in one bite. But miraculously enough while most people ran away and tried to guide others to safety, there were still a strong number of SeeD members who were actually attempting to fend it off, fighting back with magic and weapons. It was being slowed, but not stopped and it continued to pursue the pair ahead of it, snapping its jaws as it closed the distance.

"Why the hell does the Garden have a _dinosaur _running around?" Rinoa shrieked in her shock as she turned to regard the SeeD beside her. "Of all the stupid, lame brained ideas, this is by far…"

But she swallowed the words upon taking in the pallor in his features, one that seemed to make his skin blur into the white t-shirt he wore. His eyes were wide and his mouth was gaping open in his shock as his breathing seemed to spike and quicken. At first she thought it was fatigue but there was no mistaking that look in his eyes, the one that betrayed a rational fear of the monster that could probably step on you and never notice. Whatever the reason, Squall was downright terrified of this monster, so much so that he stood rooted to the spot much like a statue.

This was not a sight that Rinoa wanted to see. Normally he would be the one to instigate a charge or a course of attack, but with him practically petrified, he would be useless in this fight. As much as Rinoa would have loved to just duck in down the hallway and hope for the best, she knew her conscience wouldn't let her live it down, especially knowing who it was going after. So with a courage she never knew she possessed she charged forward, activating the Blaster Edge before taking aim and firing, never pausing in her stride even as she followed suit with a fire spell from her free hand. Both attacks blasted towards the monster, the blades of the flying pinwheel lashing out and catching the monster in the face. It let out a colossal scream that could have propelled anyone within range to the opposite ends of the Garden if controlled properly, right before the blast of fire impacted with the other side of its head. It was enough of a pause to allow Zell and the girl he was running with to get further ahead of the monster but the pause felt all too brief.

Particularly when she realized that she now had the monster's full and undivided attention.

Skidding to a stop as soon as she absorbed this information, Rinoa was at a loss as to what to do next. Cursing herself for jumping in without a plan, particularly against something that was most definitely about 4 billion times her own size, Rinoa backed away a step, even as the monster ignored the blasts of magic that were coming from behind it.

"Ice spells!" Zell shouted as he and the cadet passed her by. The brawler skidded to a stop and stood behind her, while the cadet was left panting from the exertion that was caused from running the distance.

Quickly catching on, Rinoa threw both hands out as she focused on the cold. The next thing she knew, conjured balls of ice formed in midair before gravity took hold and dropped them upon the unsuspecting dinosaur. It roared in outrage as one of the blasts slammed into the top of its skull and proceeded to charge again, causing each of the blasts that descended thereafter to blast off its back, then it's tail before crashing into the ground as the monster moved out of range.

It lowered its head as it roared before picking up the pace in what could only be seen as a charge. Shouts from behind told her that the SeeD forces were not giving up the fight and were in quick pursuit but it was more than likely the trio would end up as road kill or dinner before they managed to catch up. Wisely, Rinoa turned and ran as far away from the monster as humanly possible, watching as Zell and the cadet-girl followed suit, no doubt knowing the inevitability of their death should they stick around.

But just as she was turning the corner, she registered something running past her, causing her to skid to a stop. Zell and the cadet-girl were mindful of her and managed to avoid colliding into her but she was far from noticing that as she watched Squall charge towards the monstrous beast, his gunblade drawn and lowered into a striking position. Her shouts at him to stop were ignored as were Zell's report that charging the charging the monster was suicide and soon the Squad leader was within striking distance.

The monster, seemingly noticing that there was an easier pray to be had, leaned forward to finish the attempt with one gulp, only to have its snout collide with the ground hard enough to throw up the tiled flooring as it missed. Having thrown himself to the side, Squall barely paused in his stride, rolling up into a crouch that propelled him closer to his target. Squall then struck the monster's leg with an upward slash, the blade of the gunblade biting through the skin of the T-Rexaur and causing blood to drip from the wound. The monster roared from the pain but Squall continued to drive the blade up until it looked as though the weapon had sank through enough skin and muscle to leave the weapon stuck. At the same time, the monster was backing up, the blood pooling beneath its foot trailing along behind it as the SeeDs who had been fighting it before resumed their attacks. Particles of magic flew behind the monster, who ignored it in favour of the immediate threat in front of it.

Raising its injured leg as it made to backpedal, Squall was almost dislodged as he was lifted from the ground but he managed to hold onto the handle of his weapon which seemed to have been stuck dead fast. As the monster completed its action, Squall pulled the trigger to the gunblade, jarring the monster and causing it to roar out in pain, its tail swinging widely and smashing into the central pillar where the elevators were fixed. Once, twice, three times the gunshots sounded as Squall repeatedly hammered down on the trigger, each causing the monster to grunt and twitch in pain and to lash out behind it instinctively with its tail before everyone seemed to stop. The monster suddenly collapsed along the floor, causing a tremor that almost threw the trio off their feet but the monster failed to stir as the pile of blood grew larger, dripping into the water beneath the edge of the platform.

For his part, Squall had fallen hard onto his stomach, seemingly bouncing from the impact. By the time Zell, Rinoa and the girl managed to reach him, he was already picking himself up and, after propping his foot against the prone dinosaur, dislodged his gunblade from the T-Rexaur's leg, sending another spray of blood to stain the linoleum. There was a shock filled silence that followed the monster's collapse, but it soon erupted into cheers and applauding from the surrounding students and SeeDs alike as they seemingly commended a job well done. Scowling in annoyance at the seemingly unwanted attention, Squall busied himself with wiping the gunblade along the carcass of the monster that lay beside him.

"Did you?" Rinoa asked hesitantly, looking between the gunblader and the monster.

"_How _did you…?" Zell asked, mirroring Rinoa's actions. The cadet-girl was approaching cautiously, seemingly making an effort to keep Zell in front of her at all times and even her eyes flicked from the Squad leader to the monster and back again.

"Status junctioning," Squall answered, cutting Zell off from his question. "And it's not dead. Just asleep."

Zell's mouth formed a tiny 'o', but Rinoa found that she was still confused. "What the _hell _does that mean?"

"He put the T-Rexaur to sleep using the gunblade," Zell explained. "Damn… I forgot that they were susceptible to sleep spells, what with running away in terror and everything."

"Wait, so you can junction spells to your weapons?" Rinoa asked. "Since when? And was anyone gonna let me in on the big secret before now?"

"Um…"

The girl that Rinoa didn't know piped up for the first time but when Rinoa turned to regard her, she shrunk back behind Zell. "If it makes you feel any better," she said, speaking quietly, "_I _didn't know that either."

"Oh…" Rinoa said dully before regarding the girl with a raised eyebrow. She had assumed the students were in training to become SeeD members, so it sort of surprised her that this girl hadn't known this. Either she was missing something or this girl was a flake. Regardless, they had more important things to worry about than her questions and she cleared her throat almost importantly before acknowledging the girl. "Now I guess we do."

"Hey!"

Their conversation was abruptly cut off when someone had made the shout and their attention turned to the direction. Rinoa was suddenly reminded that they were surrounded by the SeeDs who had fought off the T-Rexaur in the first place. While they had focused their attacks from afar (it would seem), Squall had been the only one willing to get close enough to do some actual damage and Rinoa couldn't help but find that interesting.

"Which side are you guys on?" The SeeD who had spoken shouted. He had dark red hair that was cropped just a little bit short than Zell's, though minus the bangs that stuck up in the air.

"Really?" Zell shouted in exasperation. "You're really gonna ask us that _now_, _after _we helped you stop that thing?" He pointed right at the slumbering monster.

"Where's the Headmaster?" Squall asked almost immediately afterwards, altogether ignoring the question that had been asked. "We need to find him."

"Can't let you do that," the red head remarked calmly, though he tensed as though he were ready for combat. "Not until we know whose side you're on."

"They're _not _fighting for Norg!" The cadet girl said suddenly, though she squeaked and appeared to withdraw when all eyes focused on her. Rinoa decided that she wasn't at all used to being the centre of attention and was extremely shy around other people. Still, Rinoa had to admit she was brave when she saw the girl swallow quickly and speak again. "I was in the library and Zell came to our defence when Norg's people tried to overpower us!"

"It could be a trick," the red head responded. Rinoa scowled, wondering if all SeeDs were this paranoid. "They could be trying to garner our trust. I don't doubt what happened, but I doubt the motivation. He could've just been trying to lull you into a false sense of security."

Zell's features darkened at the accusation and Rinoa held her breath, hoping the brawler would put a leash on his temper. Getting upset wasn't going to make their situation any different. He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before speaking up, even as the cadet-girl shrunk back. "If we were on Norg's side, you think we'd a stopped to chat with you? Just get the hell outta our way!"

But as Zell was shouting at the red-head (who seemed to be their public speaker), Rinoa noticed that many of the other SeeDs weren't as prepared to get into a fight. Their weapons were lowered in relaxed positions that were corrected once the guilty parties appeared to notice. She also noticed how closely they were watching them for any signs of attacking, like they were waiting for them to give them a reason to fight back. These guys weren't looking to get into a fight unless they had to and they looked almost apprehensive at the thought. Rinoa noticed that a large number of them kept flicking their gaze towards Squall and she suddenly realized the reason for their hesitation. Their fear was warring with their judgement and duty and she realized that would have to change in order to do what needed to be done.

"Look," she said as she stepped forward, spreading her arms out in a show that she had no weapons or intention of attacking them. "Like Zell just said, if we were going to attack you, don't you think we'd have already gone ahead and done it?"

"Who the hell is she?" She heard one of the SeeDs ask.

Rinoa lifted her chin defiantly, huffed indignantly and then spoke, her voice startling the guy who had asked who, apparently, had thought he hadn't spoken that loudly. "I'm no one important. But just hear me out all the same. We don't want to fight you guys. We don't want to hurt the Headmaster either, and we know you're just doing your jobs to protect him from harm. We have something important to tell him and, unfortunately, we can't just spread it around so we've been keeping our heads down and out of trouble. Well," she exchanged glances with both Zell and Squall before proceeding, "until now anyway."

She raised her right arm, bent at an angle so that her fist was pointed towards the ceiling. "But we _will _fight if you force us to. We've had to defend ourselves before, so it's not a problem, but it's time consuming and we don't have the time to argue the point with you. We haven't had to kill anyone but that could change at any time…" She folded her arms across her chest before inclining her head in Squall's direction. "But I know _I _would have a problem going up against someone who just brought _that _down." She gestured towards the downed T-Rexaur and was relieved to find the SeeDs were exchanging glances between one another, her point hitting home.

Unfortunately, they were short lived and she could tell that by being SeeDs, they were refusing to lay down their arms and simply leave them alone. She had hoped that would have stuck a cord with them, but it seemed as though Garden had trained them well, too well in fact.

But before a decision could come to pass, there was a noise that sounded a lot like a battle cry coming from the direction she and Squall had just come from. It seemed to be growing louder, a sign that the source was coming closer. Rinoa exchanged nervous looks with the cadet-girl and stepped closer to Squall, not at all liking the implications of this, though it did an excellent job of diverting the SeeDs' attention away from the quartet. Finally, from around the corner, a group of cadets with an assortment of weapons from bows and arrows, to knives, to swords emerged and the sight forced Rinoa's stomach to rise up into her throat. It was apparent that they weren't there to talk things through and to settle their differences.

The SeeDs appeared to feel the same way because they charged forward, their own weapons brandished as they made to intercept the incoming horde, their weapons brought up into defensive formations.

"Rinoa! This way!"

Turning to the direction Zell's shout had come from, she spotted him, Squall and even the cadet girl running off to the side and out of the way of the building battle. Encouraged, Rinoa followed suit and they ran full out up the short flight of stairs to the right of them that took them up onto a narrow platform. They crossed into a small contraption Rinoa realized belatedly was an elevator and as the doors closed and cut them off from the sounds of battle that had just begun, she realized it had been a terrible idea for all of them to jump inside. There was very little room to spread out, shoulders just barely touching one another. The room available to them became even more limited as both she and Zell dodged backwards as the glass doors took the brunt of a flying weapon that had been shot off course. Everyone flinched from the onslaught, though Rinoa and Zell made no move to give Squall or the cadet-girl anymore breathing space.

Much like the elevator at the top of the stairs in the front hall, she noted a simple metal plague posted beside the doors with an assortment of buttons running down the side. The walls were the same red and white that reminded Rinoa of the third floor from her brief visit with the Headmaster on the night of the SeeD ball. Now, she became aware that a ringing silence had been left in the wake of that crash, and no one seemed to want to break it immediately.

"So... what now?" Zell asked suddenly, breaking through that silence a moment later.

"Not much we _can_ do from in here," Squall announced as he took in the sight of the fighting with a grim expression. "Judging by the sudden appearance of the T-Rexaur, I guess it'd be safe to assume you didn't happen to run into the Headmaster, or the Lieutenant either."

Zell went to nod but then stopped himself short. "Wait, you guys know about the Lieutenant too?"

Rinoa nodded in answer to his question, though scowled as she had been hoping the brawler had been able to find her. "But we didn't get a chance to look anywhere else. We passed the Cafeteria, and probably the Dormitory too. Though, from the looks of it, I'd say it's probably safe to assume that the Headmaster _isn't_ exactly hiding around here anyhow, what with the fighting and all."

Squall nodded in agreement, appearing almost thoughtful, and Rinoa huffed in disappointment. They should have realized it would have been too easy to find the Headmaster on the first floor, especially with the chaos of the Garden conflict being levelled there. More than likely, he was hiding on the second floor, and they could only hope that Fujin and Raijin were having better luck then they seemed to be.

"We're not gonna be able to find the Headmaster, not like this," Zell said. "We need to find the Lieutenant."

Before anyone could add anything though, Raijin's voice sounded from somewhere close by. He couldn't have been inside the elevator with them – they would have noticed within the cramped space – and his voice sounded distorted, almost like it was coming in from some kind of receiver.

Picking up on the noise faster than the others, Squall withdrew the radio from its position along his belt and pulled it close to his ear. "Night Owl here."

"Uh… oh _shit_, ya know…" The voice on the opposite side sounded. Squall rolled his eyes but Rinoa didn't understand what was going on. "I think I forgot the password, ya know? It was something about a squirrel, wasn't it, ya know?"

There was a sharp intake of breath before the person on the opposite end cried out in pain. "Okay, ya know? It's not my fault I forgot it ya know? _You're _better at remembering stuff like this, ya know? Tell them what the password is!"

Another quick intake of breath and the male voice cursed before the other radio was moved around. When someone spoke into it next, it was distinctly female, but it was also familiar. "DESERT FOX."

"Have you located the Headmaster yet?" Squall asked.

"NEGATIVE," came Fujin's reply. In the background, Rinoa could still hear Raijin cursing and she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Fujin could be downright abusive at times.

"Then why are you contacting us?" Squall asked in annoyance.

"LIEUTENANT," Fujin replied, "SECOND FLOOR. HEADMASTER'S WHEREABOUTS. HURRY!"

"Keep the Lieutenant occupied until we get there," Squall said quickly. "Do whatever it takes, just so long as she's still there when we arrive."

"AFFIRMATIVE." And with that, the transmission was disconnected, leaving Squall to stare at the contraption with a raised eyebrow.

Having spent some time with them the previous summer, Rinoa found that she could sometimes understand what the elder girl was saying with her strange way of talking. This time was no exception. "Well, at least we managed to catch an elevator beforehand, huh?"

* * *

_Amazing how long I can drag a scene that really only takes about a couple minutes to complete. Hell, if I was just playing the game right now, I could've just gone to either the cafeteria or the Library and gone back to the front hall to see Xu climbing up those stairs. I just hope I did a good enough job on these battles._

_From the get go, I've always had this image in my head where Zell got chased out of the Training Centre by a T-Rexaur, and the library girl would throw rocks at it in an attempt at distracting it. Also, you learned a little more about this girl, and why she had those strange needles with her, eh? I originally considered having her train to become a SeeD member using needles, but I thought against it since I wanted to portray the side of Garden that doesn't simply depend on the battles. It's just the way I see Garden. Besides, I'd never really considered the library girl to be much of a soldier anyway. Granted, this means she'll have to move out of the dorms when she's 21, but that's okay because it also means she's recieved an education that most people wouldn't have had access to otherwise. _

_And please don't hate me because Squall's initial reaction was to freeze the moment he saw the T-Rexaur. He is still human after all and after the experience he had the last time he went up against one, I think it would be fairly realistic that he would hesitate in having to deal with one again. Personally, when I first saw a T-Rexaur, I damn near shit myself. Then again, I'm not a SeeD, but that really isn't the point, right? Let's just say that Squall doesn't like T-Rexaurs very much and that it's all Seifer's fault. _

* * *

**12/17/2011 - **_Not much changed from the previous version, aside from the conversation between Squall, Rinoa, and Dr. Kadowaki, as well as the added emphasis of Rinoa's role of an outsider and how it affects the Garden. I wanted to end the conversation another way but unfortunately I thought it would drag out the scene too much so I've left it for another day. Hopefully I'll remember to add it, or to at least reference it. The only other change I can think of is the slight change in Zell and the library girl's arrival to the Training Centre, as well as extending the fight scene with the T-Rexaur a bit. Oh and Rinoa shot off another spell in addition to the blizzard and shooting off her pinwheel. Yeah... hope it was good nonetheless. _


	23. Chapter XXI: Seeds of Hope

**Edited: **_06/28/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXI:  
Seeds of Hope**

* * *

When the Garden Faculty had put all their cards onto the table, everyone had exploded into utter chaos. It was by a miracle alone that she was able to secure the headmaster in a safe place before instructing her people on what they should be doing. For her part, it was all about running around and keeping herself from being caught or cornered by Norg's followers. It would all end if she got caught. While she was good at what she did, she didn't fool herself into thinking that she would be able to hold them off forever.

She cursed Norg for putting his plan into action before they could better prepare themselves. She had told the headmaster it was only a matter of time before the Garden Master turned on them, but apparently her warning had come too little too late. She didn't have all the details but from what little Headmaster Kramer had told her, she wasn't about to hand him over. Least of all without a fight.

Normally not one to stray from a fight, this time called for tactic and she knew it. Fortunately, she'd been able to evade the cadets who were searching her out by remaining one step ahead of them, and she could just imagine Norg tearing out his hair (if he'd had any) in the frustration that was caused by such antics. Never having trusted the man to begin with, this encouraged her to continue the exercise, with the hope that the cadets would be sopped and the headmaster's life was no longer in jeopardy.

But this just wasn't her day, and it had been the result of piss poor timing when her luck ran out on her.

She didn't know why, but Fujin and Raijin had been on the lookout for her. This much she had been able to tell when she'd eventually found herself cornered by the pair. What disturbed her the most was they still had yet to tell her whose side they were on, and no matter how many times she insisted they tell her the order went ignored. They might have been thugs for the most part when conducting their duties for the Disciplinary Committee when Seifer was in charge, but now they were proving that they had the brain to support the brawn they normally sported. They were more than capable of hiding their motivations and she wasn't sure she liked it.

Whatever it was they were planning though, she had no intention of sticking around long enough to find out. So once she'd spotted an opening, Lieutenant Angela Xu had taken full advantage of it and had made a run for it, hoping to lose them that way. Unfortunately for her, the entire second floor, much like the first floor, was a giant circle and it would only be a matter of time before they cut her off.

So it was after a few minutes of running that she finally stopped and withdrew her two .9mm Glock 17 handguns that were normally holstered at her hips. Priming her targets, she opened fire as soon as they came running out from around the corner As a result, Fujin and Raijin were forced to duck back behind the curving wall, causing her bullets to tear chunks out of the masonry. But she was not deterred that she had missed her intended targets. Instead, she took this opportunity to plan her escape and began to back away slowly as she continued to open fire at that very sport, hoping it would encourage them to stay right where they were.

But after firing off a third round, a bladed projectile suddenly zoomed from behind the wall and charted a course straight for her. Thinking quickly, Xu opened fire and seconds later there was a metallic _ping _as they connected with the metal, knocking the projectile off target where it descended and clattered harmlessly onto the linoleum just a few feet away. When it stopped moving, Xu recognized the object as Fujin's shuriken.

A second after having identified the weapon Xu sensed movement just ahead of her, but by that time it was too late. Raijin was suddenly upon her, his wooden quarterstaff in hand and propelled forward in a clubbing fashion. She ducked the attack, all the while cursing herself mentally for the lapse, and brought her left arm straight up – gun still in hand – as she held off the quarterstaff back. The barrel of the hand-held weapon made contact with the wood and she pressed on to off balance the burly man. Compensating for the block, Raijin spun around, preparing to attack her from the right but, having recognized the move, Xu was prepared. She mirrored the action and blocked the other end with the other firearm.

But the attack proved to have been a ruse, because he suddenly spun the quarterstaff once more before bringing the weapon down over his head. Realizing what he was planning, Xu folded her arms in front of her with guns still in hand and raised them above her head to block the attack. Pressure was applied instantly as the wooden object made contact with the limbs and she gritted her teeth, thankful that she was still junctioned. Moving with the motion, Xu allowed the quarterstaff to guide her down to the ground before unfolding her arms and spinning around, bringing her foot out to kick him away from her. Raijin must've expected the attack and he blocked it with the quarterstaff. Xu then raised one of her glocks up and went to fire, only to be forced to change tactics and duck from another club-like swing.

This was getting her nowhere and she knew it. Deciding it was time to end the fight, Xu suddenly threw both hands up into the air, releasing the glocks and watching for a split second as the spun end over end while gaining altitude, rising higher and higher into the air above her. With her hands free, she clenched her fingers into a fist and with a grunted cry, brought her left leg up off the ground and connecting her boot-clad foot with the side of the burly man's jaw. Raijin grunted in pain, but could do nothing as she brought her leg back down and repeated the action with her right leg, though this time, she aimed for his stomach. He blocked it with the quarterstaff and she pushed against it with her foot, forcing the Disciplinary Committee member to back up a step. As she planted her right foot onto the linoleum, she raised her left foot and caught him in the side faster than he could block her. Many of her kicks landed, hitting him across the face and down his chest, anywhere where he was too slow to intercept with the quarterstaff. Finally, she forced herself low to the ground and swept her foot against his own, sending him sprawling onto the ground, groaning as he lay prone on his back.

As she rose to her feet, the glocks fell through the air as gravity took its course and she caught them both deftly by the loop surrounding the trigger. Three times she allowed the weapons to spin while they were balanced along the index finger of each hand before she righted and caught the flung weapons by the hand grips and pointed them straight at the downed fighter, who was only just beginning to recover from the trouncing he received. His breath hitched as he realized the position he was in though wisely he chose not to move.

Before she could do anything though, her left hand was suddenly attacked by the shuriken she had disregarded moments ago and she cursed before backing away from Raijin as Fujin entered the fray, standing in a guarded position in front of her comrade. The glock hit the floor with a clatter and Xu opened fire with the remaining weapon. As Raijin dodged the line of fire and moved into cover, Fujin brought her weapon up in front of her, spinning it with her right hand under tight controls from its owner as it blocked the weapons fire.

Rather than retreat, Xu raced onward before somersaulting forward, scraping up her abandoned glock and rolling herself into a crouching position. Seconds later, she opened fire and Fujin and Raijin wisely backed away as she raised herself into a standing position. She in turn backed away from the pair, intent on losing them in the hail of gunfire when her junctions alerted her to movement from behind. Realizing she had company, she manoeuvred her left arm so that the glock was pointed from beside her waist on the right hand and, without even looking back, she opened fire, the bullet hitting the wall behind her and she heard the scuffle of feet as someone ducked back.

"Who's there?" Xu shouted as she improved her position. Both glocks were now aimed in either direction in case anyone thought they'd be smart.

No one answered and she shot off another round, hitting the floor this time. The sound of the blast echoed throughout the hallway, causing Fujin and Raijin to flinch, but just barely. She had little to worry about for her attackers, knowing that the longer she stuck around, the more likely she was going to be captured. She might be good, but she didn't fool herself into thinking she could take on the slowly increasing number of her pursuers.

"I will _not _ask again," Xu snapped sharply.

After another moment of silence, Xu inhaled sharply and was about to open fire again, but the voice that came out from behind the wall stopped her movements. "Lieutenant! We need to talk!"

She blinked in her moment of confusion. It made no sense for the speaker to be here, since he was supposed to be away on his mission. Just what the hell was going on? "Squall?" She shouted in her surprise, confirming what she already knew to be true. She turned back to look at Fujin and Raijin, but discovered that the pair had already lowered their weapons and were standing at east. There was nothing in their posture or facial features that even indicated the aggressive instigators they had been moments ago. "What the hell are you doing back here? You're supposed to be stationed in _Timber_? Better yet, why are you with _them_? Whose side are you on?"

"Neither."

She opened fire again, and heard a startled gap from behind the wall as the bullet impacted with the rough surface. "Bullshit. If that's true, then Chocobo's come in different colours! Everyone here has a side," she cocked the glocks again, "now which one is yours?"

"We were stationed in Timber, just like you said," came the response. "So how can we possibly know enough to pick one?"

"It's true, ya know?" Raijin said in the SeeDs defence. For his effort, Xu trained her focus onto him, causing the bigger man to flinch. Still he persisted. "They came into the situation ass first, ya know? We were just tryin' ta help 'em, ya know?"

"Then _why _did you attack me?" Xu glowered at the bulkier fighter, who flinched again before wisely backing off.

"They attacked you so that we could reach you," Squall answered for him, changing Xu's focus once again. "We have something important to tell the headmaster."

Xu laughed a mirthless laugh. "Now I _know _you're lying. And I'm not falling for it. You'll have to _kill _me to find out the headmaster's location, and even then my _corpse _sure as hell won't tell you god-damned shit-all! Now everyone, come out from over there with your hands up. And trust me when I say you _don't _want me to have to come over there and get you myself."

There was another moment of hesitation and for a second Xu thought she might have to start shooting, but then she registered movement. One by one, everyone who was hiding around the corner came out with their hands in the air. First, there was Squall who was followed shortly by Zell and a cadet then finally a dark haired girl in blue she had never seen before. The girl was armed but the point was moot. It was clear that the girl didn't belong and Xu narrowed her eyes at the sight.

"For fuck sakes, Squall!" Xu all but bellowed. "You brought a _civilian _to this Garden? An _outsider_? Just what the _hell _were you thinking? The _both _of you?"

Zell flinched as he was verbally dragged into the reprimand, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. The girl in blue looked down at her shoes in what could almost have been described as guilt while the female cadet was trembling on the spot, her breaths coming out in quick bursts that could have preluded an anxiety attack. Only Squall looked even remotely composed despite the circumstances and it was he who was brave enough to speak. "Lieutenant, with all due respect, there's no time to worry about protocol. We need to speak to the headmaster and we have to do it quickly."

"Tell me which side you're on first!"

Squall looked downright irritated by the order, but when he made to speak, Xu cut him off by pulling the trigger again. Zell, the cadet and the civilian all jumped while Squall simply flinched and closed his eyes in response, the girls making sharp shrieks. "Not you. Or you Dincht," Zell had been about to answer the question as well and flinched when he was interrupted. "The girl in blue. Front and centre."

The girl practically leapt out of her shoes when she was called upon but didn't follow the command right away. She was eyeing the gun in a way someone would eye a snake or anything else that could prove to be even remotely deadly. Irritated, Xu raised the glock in her left hand so that it was pointed towards the ceiling and opened fire into it. Again, Squall flinched, and the cadet started to whimper in what sounded to be terror. "I said front and centre," Xu called again before aiming back at the quartet. "_Now_!"

The civilian was shaking in terror by this point and she turned to look over towards the other two SeeD members. _No_, the Lieutenant mentally amended, _she's looking at Squall_. It was almost like she was asking him what she was supposed to do. Should she stay where she was or step forward as previously ordered?

But when it looked like she was about to comply, a voice broke the terrifying silence. "No."

Xu turned her sharp gaze onto Squall, who was slowly lowering his arms to his side. Zell was staring at the elder youth in alarm before directing his gaze towards the Lieutenant and back again. The civilian looked like a deer caught in headlights and the cadet looked about ready to cry.

"I gave you an order!" Xu said, training her weapon at the SeeD who looked about ready to advance.

"And I said no," Squall said firmly. "We're wasting time here. You know it. I know it. You don't believe us based on our word alone, and it's _exactly _what I'd expect, because words aren't enough with you. The Lieutenant I know would recognize the actions that speak far louder than words ever could. So when a SeeD operative, who has been away in the field for months, returns with an urgent message for the Headmaster's ears alone, a message that could hold the key to many lives of this very Garden, she would lower her weapon and invite that SeeD to speak."

Arching an eyebrow, Xu said nothing, but lowered her arm and took aim at the youth as he stepped forward. His features betrayed nothing of what he was thinking, exhibiting calm as he pressed forward slowly, until they were a mere two paces apart, the barrel of her weapon primed at his chest. The bullet that would expel from her glock would be a shattering one and would tear through him like paper should she choose to open fire.

"She would _also _recognize how the SeeD in question coolly approached _all _avenues ahead of him," Squall pressed on as he moved, "and, when this SeeD negotiated a cease in combat, _without _choosing a side, she would also realize that his word can be trusted."

She saw in his eyes that he wasn't lying, though for a moment she dissuaded her thought by recalling his training. Xu shook herself of such a notion, knowing that _no _one was that good at holding back the truth, particularly someone as new to the field as Squall was. He had his tells, but her gut was telling her that he was not trying to deceive her. Having learned early on to rely on her instincts, she clenched her jaw and watched him for any sign that would betray his true intentions. Even as he continued to speak, she saw no sign of such thing.

"Lieutenant, you've been surrounded by enemies all of this time, with a few fleeting allies as you've hit and run their locations. It's time for you to surround yourself with allies instead. I'm asking you to please take me to see the Headmaster. You can hold me at gunpoint throughout the whole meeting if you still don't trust me, but just know that time is running out, that something bigger than this split Garden Faction is happening and it needs our undivided attention."

Xu hesitated maybe two deep breaths more before she finally dropped her weapons at her side. She heard the release of held breaths but ignored them as she fixed the SeeD before her with a glare. "Alright, I'll give you your chance," she said, her tone promising a painful demise should he have a change of heart. Despite this suspicion she believed enough in her readings to feel confident that she would not be betrayed. "Now what is it that's so important to require the Headmaster's attention?"

Having lowered his arms now that there was no impending danger, he looked about ready to argue, but whatever reservations or dismissive excuse the SeeD had conjured was silenced from the look Xu fixed him. "Whatever it is you need to say to the Headmaster, you can damn well tell me first. Now, what is so important?"

"There are missiles targeting the Garden," Squall started after a moment's hesitation. "Galbadia is now under the control of the Sorceress and she has ordered the Galbadians to launch missiles against both Balamb and Trabia Gardens."

"What?" Xu broke in, the news jarring her to the core. "Here? _Now_?"

Squall reluctantly nodded. "That's why we need to find the Headmaster. We need to announce the order to evacuate. He's the only one who can garner everyone in the building with the least amount of resistance."

The Lieutenant licked lips that had gone dry from the announcement, reaching up to grip her hair around her fingers, between her weapons. As much as she violently wished this was just a ploy to get to the Headmaster, Xu doubted that anyone would dream up a lie such as this. Not with a straight face, least of all a green SeeD with such limited experience in the field. Xu didn't care how good their training in deception was, it just wasn't possible.

Apparently she was not alone in her surprise, because Xu heard the cadet girl gasp as she clasped both hands over her mouth in her shock. She couldn't fault Squall or the others from keeping this girl in the dark, because the less people who knew about this the less likely a panic would ensue and the more likely they could evacuate the Garden without casualties. Squall was absolutely right. Wasting time at each other's throats was going to get them absolutely nowhere.

"Alright," Xu nodded. "Follow me. I'll take you to him."

"Where is he?" Zell asked, speaking for the first time since the encounter.

The Lieutenant looked around, making sure that there wasn't anyone else around to listen in on their conversation. It was only when she was absolutely certain the she finally spoke. "He's upstairs. We made the Garden Master's Goons believe we were hiding him elsewhere to cause confusion. He's been in his office the entire time."

* * *

Lines of code, unbroken numbers, wholly incomprehensible to the humans it served, rolled across the central chips at the core of its mind. The telemetry told the machine to ease the fuel usage by fifteen per cent and to adjust to an altitude of 40,000 feet, on a bearing of 65 degrees.

Immediately it complied. Behind it, the seven other projectiles formed the diamond shaped wedge that hovered within the stratosphere. The current air speed was over 700 miles per hour. At the centre of the data, the missile saw a 3D image of its target. Surrounding this, in a red corona, was an impact zone.

The object did not question the need for a 5000 yard circumference of impact. It only feasted on the numbers and correlations for its journey. From many leagues to the West, a silent command signalled the tail-wings to arc at an angle of fifteen degrees. The main afterburner gave the missile an extra push and it arced into the distance...

* * *

It didn't take them very long to reach the elevator and when they did, the Lieutenant opened up a slot next to the floor buttons. Her fingers worked quickly and once that was done, she brought into view a key that was suspended on a chain around her neck. Inserting the key to a slot above the pad, she twisted it clockwise before removing it and pressed the button that symbolised the third floor. After another moment, the elevator began to rise up as the Lieutenant replaced the chain and the key underneath her uniform shirt.

Rinoa watched these actions progress in a sense of daze, her mind still trying to catch up to her from what had happened moments prior. She should have realized the Lieutenant would have been sceptical, but their success in the infirmary had clouded the negative thinking and had given way to optimism. Perhaps they might be able to convince and save everyone in time, she had thought, only to come face to face with a SeeD member who was trained to the brim and so cynical that she gave Squall a run for his money.

Taking a covert glance at the Squad leader, she realized she owed him another apology, this time for believing that he was by far the most cynical and cold-hearted person she had ever met. Clearly there were others who were in the running for that title (a moment's reflection made her consider that her father was one of them) and she shouldn't have been so judgmental so quickly.

_Then again, _she thought in a brief flash of amusement, _he might just take that as a compliment._

SeeDs were meant to not ask questions. SeeDs were meant to do their jobs and to follow orders. SeeDs were meant to be these stone hearted people who could not be deterred so easily. Rinoa couldn't help but wonder if Garden was trying to turn these people into robots, and couldn't suppress the shudder she felt at the thought. Wouldn't that have been a terrifying notion? To know that there was a building training people to ignore their feelings and to rely on cold hard logic, to know that said people would eventually only be able to trust in themselves rather than what people told them, no matter how sincere.

She was starting to rethink her opinion of Cid Kramer, wondering how such a nice and seemingly caring man could approve of such training.

"Cold?"

Rinoa almost jumped out of her skin when the whispered voice broke through the still silence. Heart leaping to her throat, she realized she'd been so lost in her thoughts that she'd been staring at Squall, who had been the one to ask the question. This fact surprised her, though not unpleasantly so since it at least meant that whatever 'robot' training was being done had yet to stick consistently. She managed a wordless nod to his question, despite knowing that her shivers had nothing to do with the cold at all.

They reached their destination in a matter of minutes. The doors split apart and permitted them entrance into a hall that was not extravagantly designed, but it was beautiful all the same. The floor was black and white, but the pattern that the colours meshed seemed odd and random, yet classy. There was a long red carpet that spanned the width of three people that flowed from the front of the elevator to the double doors that sat on the opposite end of the hall.

All seven passengers left the elevator and ventured across the room to these doors, where they stopped for the Lieutenant to open them. She withdrew a keycard and slid it in the slot next to the door before typing in another code on the pad next to the slot. There was a mechanical _click_ that was followed by a slow creaking of the door as it opened. Everyone stepped inside.

The foyer beyond was spacious. There were tall windows at the far side of the room that took in the breathtaking view of the outdoors, consisting of a light blue sky covered in white puffy looking clouds and the sun hidden behind them as it bathed them in its light. Such a nice and warm sunny day belayed the danger they were all in, and somehow Rinoa couldn't help but think that the world would stop spinning the moment the missiles collided with the Garden. She most definitely did not appreciate the symbolism. Inside, the floor was a light bronzy colour, the sunlight reflected off the boards and making them shine. The carpet they had walked along continued to pass into this room, but veered off into two different directions. Rinoa guessed they served as a pathway to the offices on this floor.

The Lieutenant led them to the right hand side of the room. Everyone mindlessly continued along the carpet, as though touching the floor with their boot-clad feet was a sin of some sort. Rinoa supposed it was, since the floor looked so clean and neat, handled with the care of a collector to his prized processions. She wondered if it was buffed every day, before she shook herself of such thoughts reflecting how silly she was being. Now was certainly not the time to allow for distractions from pretty and shiny things, least of all the floor.

After a few minutes of walking, the Lieutenant suddenly stopped in front of a specific door. It looked like all the others, but had a plague on it that read '_Cid Kramer: Headmaster' _along the side. Rinoa thought back to her earlier musings that it would be far too easy and simple to stash the headmaster into his office for the duration of this civil war, but she realized many SeeDs and students would think the same thing, that it was far too obvious a place to look. But the Garden Faculty at least should have figured that something was wrong, since Xu had to unlock the elevator before they charged up to the third floor. Wouldn't they have thought that was suspicious?

Rinoa considered the fact that they might have overthought the situation. That it was likely in the confusion they believed it to be a trick of some kind, to lure them into a trap. It would explain why the searches had been focused on the first and second floors only. Rinoa had to hand it to the Lieutenant (even if it was grudgingly), when she thought of a plan, she didn't mess around.

Xu raised her fisted hand and knocked it against the surface of the door three times, producing a sound that reminded Rinoa of the wooden doors back at the General's home. She wondered if the three knocks was supposed to be some kind of signal before they heard three more knocks coming from behind the door. Seconds later, the door slid open, unbidden by those who crowded the threshold and Rinoa figured the occupant must have released the lock from inside.

The Lieutenant was the first to cross that threshold and, at her gesture, everyone followed suit. Rinoa was shocked that they were all being allowed to enter, since the exchange on the second floor seemed to elude that Squall would be the only one permitted to speak to the Headmaster. It had made sense to her then, though now as she thought about it, it would seem kind of silly for six teenagers to be crowding around a room not doing anything, regardless that the Garden Faculty had no means of reaching the upper floor.

Though Rinoa was sure she hadn't actually seen Xu initiate the lock again (which struck her as a dumb thing to do so she gave the elder woman the benefit of the doubt), she thought it probably was better to be safe than to be sorry.

The office was just as she remembered, though the actual size of the room (and the fact that so many people could stand comfortably within its walls) was what caught her off. She remembered it being a lot smaller than it actually was, but it was no less homey feeling, a sense of welcome oozing from the walls despite the dire circumstances that had brought them here. She had felt at ease back then, when she'd come to this very office with Seifer to implore the headmaster to help the Forest Owls' plight, though now the feeling seemed more insulting than soothing, like a child being assured by a parent that there was no monster in the closet when the child knew better.

There was a desk that was positioned near the back of the room and along either side of were book shelves. There were a couple of chairs set up in front of the desk, though they weren't the uncomfortable folding chair kind that made your butt sore when you sat in them for a long time. Instead they were plush and consisted of thick leather that served as cushions along the seat, back and arms. The back wasn't a tall one. For the average sized person, it rose up to meet mid-back. The floor in this office was completely carpeted the same red that they had walked along outside and littered along the beige coloured walls were certificates and awards the headmaster must have earned.

And standing beside his desk taking in all the visitors to his office was a befuddled looking Headmaster Cid Kramer. He looked between each of them as they entered the room before turning to look at the Lieutenant, who stood at the front once the door that had been secured, closed and locked behind everyone. "I didn't expect you to arrive with a parade," he joked awkwardly.

"I understand that sir, and I wouldn't breach security like this if it wasn't important," The Lieutenant explained as Squall and the others fell into a salute. When the last of the group was safely past the threshold, the door slid closed with a tiny _clink _Rinoa wouldn't have heard had she been on the opposite end of the room. The Lieutenant swiftly locked the door as she spoke.

Unlike the others, Rinoa did not mirror their gesture because the headmaster already knew she wasn't a part of their organization. Instead, she chose to stand with her arms loosely folded across her chest, hands gripping the spot by her elbows out of comfort than from being cold. The Lieutenant, ignorant to all of this, pressed on regardless. "I've just been alerted that Galbadia has launched missiles aimed at this Garden."

"How credible is the source of this information?" The Headmaster asked after a long moment of silence. He cleared his throat awkwardly after asking the question. Most likely he was hoping the news wasn't true.

"Sir," Squall spoke up, stepping forward and the Headmaster turned his attention towards the Squad leader. "One of the members of my team overheard a conversation between the Sorceress and the former General Caraway talking about the launch. I also heard the information directly from Seifer Almasy, who has aligned himself with the Sorceress and has become her knight. The Intel is credible. He wouldn't have said anything if it wasn't true."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," the Headmaster mused grimly before looking back up. Rinoa noticed that the Lieutenant's expression narrowed the instant the former cadet's name was mentioned and catalogued the information for later. "The public address system has been down since the earlier announcement was made by the Garden Master faction, so we can't make the announcement from here. We'll have to spread the word by foot, and I want all of you to do so. Split up, take a floor and alert as many people as you can. When that is done, I want all of you to evacuate the Garden."

"Sir!" The Lieutenant responded as she snapped into a salute. Zell, the female cadet, Fujin and Raijin all fell into line behind her, but she was surprised when Squall didn't follow the movement. Instead his shoulders were squared. Rinoa couldn't tell what he was thinking since she couldn't see his face, but she could tell that something was definitely on his mind.

"Sir," Squall said before the Lieutenant and the others could start making for the door. "What about you?"

The Headmaster looked surprised. "What about me?"

"What are you going to do if we're evacuating the Garden, sir?"

Cid looked guiltily down at his hands. Rinoa realised the elder man was hoping to get away without saying anything. Thinking about it, she realised she didn't have a clue as to what the Headmaster was planning either and she felt her gut clench as she realised she might not like the answer.

"Very astute," Cid complimented as the others exchanged puzzled glances. "I'm going to stay here, in the Garden, and see this through to the end."

"You mean you're gonna die here?" Zell exclaimed in shock.

"No! You can't!" Rinoa shouted. "The Garden needs you!"

"Sir, with all due respect," the Lieutenant stepped forward, "this is a stupid idea."

"Just come with us!" Rinoa persisted. "We can always rebuild this place! You're irreplaceable but Garden isn't!"

Cid smiled as he clasped his hands behind his back. "You can all rest assured. I'm not staying here without doing anything. I would like to try something. There still might be a means of saving the Garden from complete annihilation."

The Headmaster moved to walk towards the door, and Rinoa realised he wasn't walking straight. His legs were wobbling horribly – from age or fear, she couldn't be sure – and after a few steps he fell, landing on one of his knees. The Lieutenant moved over to help him and Rinoa did the same. Between the pair of women, they were able to get him standing again, while the elder man was chuckling in embarrassment. His face was a bright red as he said, "I'm getting too old for this."

Rinoa couldn't help but suppress a frown at this, couldn't shake the feeling that more than age had to do with it. He was scared of losing the Garden, of losing his life trying to save it, and in this condition it was doubtful he'd be able to do much of anything.

"Sir!"

Rinoa, the Lieutenant and Cid all looked up to the source of voice and the resistance fighter was surprised to see Squall standing in an attentive position. Everyone else was also staring at him in shock. Like Rinoa, they apparently hadn't expected Squall to say much of anything aside from just following orders.

But it wasn't just his stance that startled her. There was a determined look in his features that Rinoa hadn't seen before. Back in Deling City, when he'd left the clock tower to face the Sorceress, there had been a grim resignation in his gaze that she might have mistaken as determination, but now she realized she had been wrong in her earlier assumption. Here he looked ready to face the world, but instead of believing full well that he would die (he very well could've thought just that, but Rinoa wasn't able to see a sign that betrayed this thought), he was almost confident seeming that he would get the job done, that he would succeed.

Judging by how quickly Squall was to volunteer himself, and the state the headmaster was in left a feeling of foreboding that twisted her stomach into a knot. She suddenly decided that she didn't want to know what the headmaster had planned, didn't want to hear what Squall would have to say, because she knew then and there that she wasn't going to like it.

"Whatever it is you have planned for the Garden," Squall continued, oblivious to her inner musings, "I would like handle it in your place."

There was a moment of silence that followed that declaration and Rinoa couldn't find her voice to tell him that _he_ was being stupid. The best chance of survival that they had was to leave the Garden, so why the hell was everyone talking about saving it? She didn't like the idea of abandoning this place much either, but as she'd said before, the Garden was replaceable. Human life wasn't, and yet here they were, _both_ of them being stupid and throwing their lives away like some unwanted thing.

But what stopped her was the knowledge that she wasn't looking at this in their perspective. Out of everyone in this room, she was the outsider. Garden wasn't her home. To her it was just a structure to train soldiers. But everyone else in this room had lived here for far longer than she could possibly guess and there was a sentimentality that came along with the building that was not so easily replaceable. Her throat constricted as she realised they were only doing what _she _would have if she were in the same position, so she kept her mouth shut and her opinions, for once, to herself.

"Really?" Cid asked. He seemed equally as shocked as everyone else in the room by the declaration. By then, he was standing tall again, and Rinoa and the Lieutenant didn't have to hold him up any longer. "Why is that?"

Squall seemed taken aback by the question and didn't speak for a moment. Rinoa assumed he was pooling his thoughts together before he answered. The Headmaster, for his part, kept silent and waited patiently until the SeeD finally did. "Sir, my feelings are irrelevant at this point in time. The Sorceress wants to destroy SeeD and the symbols that stand for it, and we can't allow her to think she's won by letting her do so."

To everyone's surprise, the Headmaster chuckled lightly. Squall's brow furrowed somewhat and Rinoa guessed he was somewhat insulted by Cid's lack of sensitivity on the subject. Rinoa herself was confused by it, since he had been the one who had wanted to save Garden in the first place. Cid managed to contain himself however, and he spoke before she could ask anything. "It seems as though Quistis was right after all," he said lightly, "you _do _have trouble expressing your feelings."

Rinoa didn't understand the meaning behind those words, and from the looks of it, neither did Squall. But from the little she'd learned about the Headmaster from Seifer and their brief meeting so long ago, she knew the man wouldn't say anything that was irrelevant. There was some meaning to those words. She just had to figure them out.

But now was definitely not the time and the Headmaster appeared to agree. "My plan is simple. The Garden itself is a mystery, even to those of us who were around when its construction was completed. Years before this building became the Garden that we know it as, it was used as a shelter. There is a level of the Garden that no one has explored before, and there is only one way to access it."

From within one of his vest pockets he produced an old looking key. It wasn't like the ones they used nowadays to slide into a slot, but it had notches and teeth in the end like the olden days. Rinoa had seen those kind of doors in the General's home while she was growing up and recognised it almost instantly.

The Headmaster took no notice of her mental musings and he held the key out for Squall to take, which the SeeD did after a moment's hesitation. "Use that key in the elevator slot, and it will take you to the MD level of the Garden. There should be some sort of control mechanism, but you'll have to find it and activate it. Personally, I've never seen the mechanism, and I have no idea what it does. However, I believe that it may be the only hope Garden has of surviving the missile attacks."

"Sounds to me like you're talking about machines," Zell pointed out before raising his left fist up into the air, "which means Squall'll be totally lost without me there. I'm going too."

"I will accompany you as well," the Headmaster said in a tone that brook no argument. The look on Xu's face betrayed just how much she wanted to though, but she refrained as the Headmaster continued. "The blueprints are currently inaccessible to anyone, but I've committed them to memory. You'll need me to guide you through the level."

"Don't forget about me," Rinoa added, deciding that the least she could do was help them save their home. "I'm going too."

"No, you're not," both Squall and Zell said at the same time. Rinoa balked somewhat at the declaration and the two SeeDs seemed surprised that they'd spoken up at the same moment.

Before she could argue though, the Headmaster planted a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he smiled at her. "While I appreciate the sentiment and commend you on your bravery, Rinoa, I'm afraid I must agree with them. As a client and a civilian, I can't allow you to endanger yourself for the sake of _our_ Garden."

Rinoa bristled at the statement and went to argue further but Cid cut her off. "Aside from that, I will need you to assist the Lieutenant and everyone else in evacuating the Garden. The more bodies we have doing so, the less lives will be under threat."

The resistance fighter frowned. She wanted very badly to help the others find the mechanism but the Headmaster brought up another valid point. She was torn between the two options and she wanted to be able to do the most good that would contribute to everyone's safety.

And, unfortunately, as much as she was loathe to admit it, the Headmaster was right. Another point that he had neglected to mention was the fact that the less people inconspicuously missing, the less likely the Garden Master goons would realise that something was up and come looking for the Headmaster.

So it was with great reluctance that she nodded her head in agreement to their request. "But be careful. And if it doesn't work, get out of the Garden. Don't try to be heroes."

"You all will take the elevator down first," Cid said. While he seemingly skimmed over the request, Squall and Zell nodded wordlessly in her direction, a sign that they had heard and understood her. "We'll shut off all access to the elevators from up here, and then use the remaining one to get down to the MD level. No matter what happens, once you've gotten as many people out of the Garden as you can, evacuate yourselves and do _not_ go back inside for any reason. Am I to be understood?"

Everyone else nodded in agreement with Rinoa's action having been reluctant before the two groups split up. The Headmaster moved back towards his desk while everyone who was evacuating the Garden left the room.

* * *

**01/13/2012 - **_Hehe, more relevant stuff._

_First and foremost was Xu. I mentioned this in RotT, but I have always had this strange love for Xu. She is a strong character who seems to have the majority of SeeD behind her, even in the game when she didn't seem to have some kind of elevated status as she does here. Furthermore, aside from Squall of course, Xu was the only one who wasn't intimidated enough to back down when Seifer pulled his shit and put him in his place with her words that day (I still jawdrop whenever I reach that part). So as such, I gave her a kick-ass reintroduction. I've made her a gunner, but don't be too surprised if she manages to pull some other arsenal out of her ass later on. She's just that awesome._

_You'll notice that I changed they way the SeeDs managed to convince Xu that they are telling the truth because, to be honest, I don't see Squall letting it happen that way. The original excuse was that he didn't realize what she was going to do, though now that I think about it I think it would be fairly obvious, which is why Squall stepped in and convinced her instead. Also, if I had kept things the same, it would have soured Rinoa's opinion of SeeD (not that it already hasn't mind you, lol), which might have been interesting but rather brash. I like the newer version just because it gives Rinoa the hope that not everyone is as coldhearted and uncaring despite their training. _

_Now onto the changes. I axed Rinoa's involvement in the MD level. Why? Because she's a civilian and despite her having been able to tag along as often as she had up until this point, the guys had to put their foot down somewhere. Now in Peptucks version, Xu accompanied Squall throughout the level, and Zell had gone with the others to the Missile Base (sorry for spoilers). Here, I opted to have the Headmaster join them through the level, if only because he really would know where they were going. Also, it's foreshadowing for later. _

_Also, Fujin and Raijin have an even bigger role in this version, as you have probably figured out by now. That is also foreshadowing for later. The Library Girl, Alicia, got added for the fun of it, and to also fuel a subplot that I have in mind for later..._


	24. Chapter XXII: Last Act of Defiance

_I just wanted to say thanks to the people who reviewed the previous chapter. I know it's a little sad to say but it's a personal best for a multi chaptered story for me. As for being needy for reviews, yes I am. As an aspiring author, i can't exactly improve my writing and stop making the same mistakes if people point them out. I can't catch them all after all. I only ask for reviews because at the time no one was adding their two cents and I really wanted to hear what you readers thought of my telling of the wonderful game that is Final Fantasy 8. _

_And I'm especially happy that my version of Xu has been well received as well. _

* * *

**Chapter XXII:  
Last Act of Defiance**

* * *

The day had begun with such a promising start.

He had been so angry at what had happened, at what had been done _behind his back _that his hand had been forced. Weeks of planning had been forced to the forefront even before everything was set in stone, though in truth all they had really needed was the smoking gun to set them off. That fool Cid had all but doomed them all with his flights of fancy, and now he was paying the price for it. Despite having been biding his time, he at least could thank the fool for giving him the means to end the waiting.

But things weren't exactly going as planned. The Garden Faculty and the cadets who were fighting for them had yet to locate the missing Headmaster, and as they ran into those interfering SeeDs who were swearing allegiance with the idiot it was becoming more and more apparent that they were wasting his time and biding their own, threading out the masses so to speak. Unfortunately he hadn't been able to garner near as much support as he had initially expected and had been forced to plan and tweak accordingly. It would only be a matter of time before the SeeD forces overthrew the students.

He knew exactly who to thank for his current predicament and was planning on showing his appreciation by having the Lieutenant filleted along with the Headmaster.

But now he was receiving reports from the Garden Faculty about an evacuation order that had been sent out amongst the masses. Apparently, the order was concerning some sort of attack from the west.

He had snorted at this news. He had showed his hand to the Galbadians and the Sorceress who now ruled them, and they had been assured that the Garden and SeeD meant them no harm. The notion of an attack was a ploy dreamt up by the Headmaster in order to stall for time. Well, his time was at an end, and he would be damned if he allowed the foolish man to slither away.

So he had informed the Garden Faculty to forbid anyone from leaving the building, going so far as to threaten the rewards promised to the students in exchange for their loyalty. The attack would continue as planned, and by the end of the day he would have Cid Kramer's head on a silver platter.

He turned his attention away from the ensuing chaos as he took notice of the schematics he had brought up onto the surrounding computer terminals. According to the system reports, the elevators were being shut down – probably to further sell the emergency plot. But what caught his attention was the sight of a lone elevator proceeding further and further below ground, when every one of the mechanical boxes should've become inoperable.

He grimaced as he cursed Kramer for his brass. How dare he even consider to _think _ that he could come down here and face him after all that he had done? Apparently, the snivelling worm had been hiding in his office the whole time, for the lock down on the elevators could only be done from a terminal on the third floor, a terminal that was currently locked safely within the confines of the old man's office. He considered punishing his men for the lapse – they should have looked there in the first place – and didn't doubt that the Lieutenant had had something to do with his hiding place. Cid was too dull, too stupid to have thought things so far, it could've only been her. But if she thought she could outthink him, she had another thing coming, and if the Headmaster thought he could get the best of him, he was mistaken and would be proven so.

It was mundanely easy to get into the electrical systems through the controls of his workstation, and even easier to access the controls for the elevators in the Garden. His workstation had access to all remote functions of the Garden. He could establish a power surge that would leave the Garden in the dark should he choose to do so, never minding that it cut off the power fuelling the much needed life-support systems in the infirmary, or power down the electrical fences that held the monsters at bay in the Training Centre, thus endangering the lives of the people who dwelled within the Garden. It had always been his safety net to know he could do these things to get what he wanted, but it was preferable to have the masses allied with him instead of with Cid.

_He _was the one with the power, not Cid. And it was high time that the foolish headmaster was reminded of this fact.

So it was with a tight grin that he disabled the system that controlled the descending elevator, watching as it crawled to a complete and suddenly stop.

* * *

The slow and steady ride to the MD level was suddenly disrupted when the elevator shifted abruptly, almost causing its three occupants to lose their footing. Moments later, the lights blinking, basking them into a darkness so thick they couldn't see their own hands in front of their faces initially. It took a moment to adjust to the sudden change of light and he looked around the cramped space, instantly spotting Zell and the Headmaster, and finding that both were fine.

He didn't know what had caused the sudden power failure, but Squall frowned all the same, knowing that it would make an already difficult task all the more threatening. He didn't know if this mechanism within the Garden existed, and knew it would be a long shot for it to actually do something against missiles, the idea of it all feeling so fanciful and unlikely. But he couldn't just sit around and do absolutely nothing, especially when the Headmaster had first brought up this plan. He'd pounced on the opportunity almost immediately, the desire to protect his home having outweighed the impracticality of the details and the risks they brought with it.

"What the hell?" Zell exclaimed as the Headmaster tried several of the buttons along the dashboard console of the elevator, only eliciting the soft _click _that came with the action. Nothing else happened. "Don't tell me we're _stuck_."

_Way to state the obvious, _Squall mused mentally, though he opted to keep his thoughts to himself.

"It's quite possible," the Headmaster said instead. "As I've already said, no one has actually ventured into the MD level before. We might even be stuck here for a while."

_But we don't have that long, _Squall's thoughts wailed as he looked around for a means of escape. If they couldn't reach the MD level by elevator, then they would have to climb the rest of the way. But scarcely just as he started searching, he spotted the lid to a trap door that the Headmaster just happened to be standing on.

"Excuse me, sir," Squall said politely and the Headmaster stepped off the panel to the side, seemingly watching the youth as he crouched down. After a moment of inspecting the panel, Squall found the hidden latch and pushed down. Seconds later, the platform descended, revealing a hole in the bottom of the elevator.

"Awesome!" Zell shouted in excitement. "_Now _we're talking!"

"Be sure to watch your step," Headmaster Kramer warned. "Remember, no one has been down here for a long time. Maintenance hasn't been kept up, and it's likely to show."

* * *

He watched the terminal monitors with such rapt attention that it was akin to someone surveying a personal project. Not once did he look away, not even stopping to _blink _as he kept an eye out for a sign or show of activity that he was searching for. For a long agonizing set of minutes the screen simply stared back but he kept up his vigilance, knowing that there was only one option that remained for the rat in his trap.

And his vigilance paid off, because finally the silent alarm was set up, having been tripped when the latch of the trap door in the floor of the elevator was depressed. He grinned widely, even knowing that his prey was potentially escaping, because he had anticipated the move. It being the only reasonable means of escaping a stopped elevator, it had been the only move Kramer could've possibly made. The mechanical box was stopped well below the gate that accessed either the first and second floors, but they were still a long ways away from reaching him in his chambers. Climbing down along the ladder to reach him was going to be the worst mistake that Kramer had ever made.

Accessing a computer keyboard that was grafted into his chair, he typed in the necessary codes but waited before sending them. He didn't want to give his nemesis a means of re-entering the contraption. In fact, he wanted to be certain that the Headmaster was along the ladder, far down enough that he couldn't crawl back into the elevator but not too far away to avoid the collision.

He gave them another sixty seconds before finally sending off the codes that rescinded the emergency stop and watched as, slowly, the elevator started off again, crawling back to life as though chasing after it's pursuers…

* * *

Squall had descended the ladder first in the effort of testing it out. If the strong steel had degraded overtime, then there was a possibility that it would not support any of their weigh. Not wanting to put the headmaster at risk, the Squad leader had taken point, weighing more between the two youths. It was only when he'd proceeded a good ways down when the Headmaster proceeded and Zell brought up the rear. So far, they'd gotten lucky, but there was no telling if the ladder would hold out. They had to be careful yet quick if they wanted to avoid finding out.

The elevator shaft was a dark pit with very little light illuminating their surroundings. Supposing it to be the effect of the lack of power that fuelled the mechanical box, it was not the least be comforting. He could barely make out Squall or the Headmaster below him and tread lightly to avoid stepping on the latter's fingers. The only sounds penetrating the still silence were the rhythmic tapping of hands and feet as they hit the bars in their descent.

It was difficult to control his speed, particularly with the Headmaster directly beneath him and he felt the frustration well up in him but pushed it down with difficulty. It was much like when he would walk the streets of Balamb and encounter a slow moving couple who insisted on hogging the width of the sideway, moving at their own leisurely pace without a care for the people who walked around them. More than once he had just walked along the curb of the road in an effort to walk around them, receiving the strange and unsympathetic looks of the offender as they continued along their merry way. It was a luxury that Balamb was so small in times like these and that very rarely did people actually drive to their destinations, because otherwise he would be contending with the drivers moving at speeds that could potentially end his journey, either temporarily or permanently. Unfortunately he could only continue to grapple with his temper, since no such option existed here.

The silence was beginning to get to him, feeling as stifling and thick as the darkness that surrounded them on all sides and he was itching at something – anything – to dispel it. He cleared a throat that was dry with the direness of their situation and forced himself to speak. "Yo," he said good naturedly, in an attempt at bringing some cheer to their predicament. "Wouldn't it suck balls if the elevator suddenly started up again?"

It was a nervous question at best, something he'd always imagine would happen and had witnessed happen in movies too numerous to count. A similar yet different circumstance always presented itself in the brawler's thoughts just outside of Balamb Town on the weekends he spent with his Ma. He would always become impatient when waiting for the Garden Car that would take him back to the Garden and consider walking the length, only to be deterred by the fear that the car would show up shortly after starting, yet too long for him to actually catch it.

Just as he finished voicing this thought though, a disturbingly loud _clunk _sounded from above, echoing off the halls and reverberating enough to simulate a quake. It sent a chill of foreboding down the brawler's spine and he wished vehemently that he had just kept his mouth shut. Slowly, he looked up in dread as he hoped he hadn't jinxed them and made their situation worse than it already was.

The sounds of the tapping that signalled their descent had stopped, signalling that Squall and the Headmaster had stopped their progress as well. It at least proved Zell wasn't imagining the sound, but his stomach sank at the notion that was very real. But then there was a hum, similar to that from a mechanical whirl, but it remained consistent after a minute. Looking up, his heart leapt up into his throat at the sight of the elevator shifting up before it proceeded down, moving steadily closer to their position.

_Aw crap!_ Zell cursed before scrambling to descend before the elevator could crush him. He had definitely jinxed it.

"Hurry!" Squall shouted from below. Zell didn't need to be told twice, despite having barely heard it over the whirl of the elevator. The tapping of his descent was drowned out by the noise above them as the elevator inched closer and closer. He moved quickly, hoping that the Headmaster was hauling ass as his gut tightened, almost clenching painfully in his panic. He sure as hell hoped the entrance to the MD level was close by, though even if it was it'd still take a miracle to outrun it. He didn't feel like becoming a human pancake, especially not with the impending missile attack.

"The MD Level," Zell heard the Headmaster exclaim and he tore his eyes away from the elevator to see the gaping hole further below. That _had _to be where they were supposed to go, and he wasn't asking anyway questions as he continued to climb down.

"You first, Headmaster," Zell heard Squall shout from below. After a moment's hesitation Headmaster Kramer jumped the gap into the opening and disappeared into the darkness. Squall suddenly looked up and made a waving gesture towards himself. "You too Zell. Hurry!"

Zell scrambled to catch up this comrade, though he was mildly shocked that Squall hadn't gone on ahead of him. Without thinking too long, Zell released his grip on the ladder, dropping the gap that would take him towards the Squad leader. He managed to catch the rung above Squall and avoid knocking into him and clocking him in the head at the same time. The painful shock that ran up his arms from the manoeuvre went ignored as he propelled himself towards the adjacent gap in the wall seconds later, barely missing a beat. Movement from behind told him that Squall was following him.

And not a moment too soon too, because just as both SeeDs clambered into the hole, the elevator shot past them and continued to descend further down the shaft towards the bottom floor.

Zell was breathing heavily, both from the exhaustion and the close call. Squall and the Headmaster were in much the same condition and it took a moment for all of them to collect themselves before Zell bit his lip awkwardly when he could breathe normally again. "Sorry guys, I jinxed it."

Before Squall could say anything on the subject, the Headmaster spoke up and cut him off. "I don't believe it would have made a difference if you'd said nothing at all, Zell. I set the controls to stop once we'd reached this level, but I have no doubt at all that the Garden Master had other plans."

Zell and Squall exchanged grim glances between one another, and the brawler could tell that the Squad leader was thinking the same thing he was. Whatever the Headmaster had done to get on the Garden Master's shit list, it had to have been huge to get the mysterious man riled up enough to want to drop an elevator on them all, regardless of the pending attacks from Galbadia. Zell was looking very forward to the time when the stupidness of this Garden Civil War was behind them and they could focus on more pressing matters, specifically in dealing with the Sorceress.

"But we mustn't dwell on that," the Headmaster pressed on grimly as he took in their surroundings. "We don't have the time."

The brawler frowned thoughtfully in contemplation, recalling the reason they were down here in the first place. Finding this mysterious mechanism was their first priority, but he sure as hell didn't think it was a smart idea to just ignore the guy who was trying to kill them, _especially _knowing now that he had access to the Garden controls. He didn't claim to know a lot about the inner workings of the Garden, but he knew enough to realize that the Garden Master would have to have access to at least some of the controls to lock down and restart an elevator the way he had. Glancing over at Squall, he watched the elder teenager for any sign of what he thought about the idea of pressing forward. He found that Squall appeared to be in agreement with the Headmaster, because he nodded wordlessly, seemingly allowing the subject to drop. Zell's frown turned into a scowl, but he kept his mouth shut all the same.

The Headmaster nodded once in their direction before turning to face the only direction they could possibly go, which appeared to lead into a tunnel that seemingly stretched a far distance. Old light systems were pressed intermiddently along the wall where it met the ceiling, flickering slightly though illuminating their surroundings enough for them to see. Zell guessed there might've been a short in a wire, something caused by the lack of upkeep in the area. He wasn't looking forward to finding out just what else was in need of repair down here, but kept his opinions to himself. The tunnel itself, though long, was very narrow and looked like it would only fit one person at a time.

Thanking his lucky stars that he wasn't the least bit epileptic or claustrophobic, Zell swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and together they started further down the tunnel.

* * *

_God-damn you, Norg, _Xu mentally hissed as she brought up her glock to stave off the weapon of her attacker, forcing her arms to cross up and over her head in a blocking formation.

She had wasted no time in issuing her orders once they'd proceeded from the Headmaster's office, forming the teams that they would work in to start the evacuation. It helped that Dr. Kadowaki had already been informed of the impending missile attack and, according to Rinoa, had already begun the process. But there was still much work to be done. They had crammed back into the elevator where Xu and her team stepped off on the second floor, allowing the remaining pair to reach the first level.

While Fujin and Raijin were busy rounding up the students along the first floor, it left Xu alone with the cadet girl Alicia and the civilian Rinoa. She had made up these teams specifically because Fujin and Raijin worked well together and she could handle herself well enough to cover the two people who had the least amount of combat training. Not having joined the SeeD program, Alicia was a liability with no field experience or weapon's training whatsoever. While she possessed a weapon of her own, Rinoa was another category of worry, never having experienced this level of combat before.

Not two seconds after they'd stepped out of the elevator did they encounter resistance. Their warnings of an attack and insistences that this was not a trick went unheard and ignored by the attacking students, who advanced like drones with a purpose. But the Lieutenant had been pleasantly surprised by the responses of the two girls who would have otherwise proven to be a hindrance. Alicia seemed to know well enough to keep the Lieutenant between herself and the advancing students, and stayed out of the line of fire, following the elder woman's directions to the letter. Moreover, she was seemingly competent enough to defend herself when some of the students managed to bypass the Lieutenant altogether.

But it was Rinoa's participation in the battle that impressed Xu the most. Initially, she had found it hard to believe that the girl would be able to hold her own and had not been anticipating the prospect of baby-sitting the girl. But she proved to be a valuable asset during the fight and had even helped to ensure they pushed the advancing forces back along the halls leading towards the classrooms. She wielded the pinwheel and blaster edge combination remarkably well, almost like an expert who had trained with it religiously and had even surprised the elder woman with how effect she was at spell casting. Xu didn't know how the girl had managed to know so much, but she wasn't about to distract the girl by asking questions that could wait until later when they weren't in imminent danger.

But Xu knew the reason why their words were falling upon deaf ears and continuously cursed Norg the longer the fighting progressed, the more she was forced to defend herself against the students this Garden trained. Pushing forward, she managed to knock aside the student who had been preparing to overpower her and slash at her from above with the combat knife clutched tightly by white-knuckled fingers. She instead turned the tables, forcing the student back while spreading her arms at either side and, with a well-executed spin kick, pushed them out of melee range.

At this rate, Norg's pride and stubbornness was going to get them all killed.

Without missing a beat, Xu crossed her arms while aiming the glocks ahead of her to the students who were proceeding to regroup for a second push. "I am ordering you now. Get the _hell _out of the Garden before you get hurt!"

Xu frowned thoughtfully as she realized that they were no better off in the halls in front of the classrooms than they had been initially when they'd been pinned along the bridge leading back to the elevator. Even as she surveyed her options (not liking any that crossed her mind) she felt something hit her lightly at both shoulders. Looking up quickly with a glance, she posted that both Rinoa and Alicia had been backed against her. From their directions came more students with weapons at the ready, flanking them on all sides.

"Xu," Rinoa said suddenly through a voice that was steady yet betrayed a slight tremor. "Where does that door lead?"

Xu looked over to where Rinoa had gestured with her head and noticed a door in the wall. She knew it all too well as one of the numerous emergency exits that led outside, though at this height the fall alone would kill the fool stupid enough to override the lock and walk through, though only if the inflatable raft that was supposed to extend and guide said person to safety failed to activate upon the door opening. "It's an emergency door," Xu answered in her frustration. "Where do you _think _it would lead?"

Rinoa huffed almost indignantly at the remark, to which Xu rolled her eyes. Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer was at the forefront of her mind, but when Rinoa spoke she was calm, though there was irritation interlaced with her words. "_I'd _say this is as good an emergency as any, wouldn't you?"

"What're you planning?" Alicia piped up in a shrill voice. Against her shoulder, Xu could feel the girl trembling at the prospect of being killed by her peers.

"If the Lieutenant and I can distract the students, do you think you could reach that door Alicia?" Rinoa suddenly asked. Alicia paled at the implication that she was at the forefront of any plan and stammered, most likely searching for the words that would form an answer.

Xu frowned, not altogether positive she liked the idea of retreat. "We need the numbers, Rinoa. We can't just have her run off an escape, especially not when we're so completely surrounded."

"But I'm nottalking about _escaping_," Rinoa said in a frustrated tone of voice, one that was reserved for teachers or mothers who were fast losing patience with un-understanding children. "I just need the door to get opened. I can take care of the rest."

"What are you planning?" Xu asked, mimicking Alicia's earlier question.

"I think it'd take way too long to explain it," Rinoa answered in kind, "and we don't _exactly _have the luxury of hashing out all the details right now. Just trust me, okay?"

Xu huffed in annoyance, absolutely _loathing _when anyone – regardless of who they were – ordered her to trust in them. She trusted herself and her ability to get the job done, but if the people around her weren't willing to tell her what the plan was then how the hell as she supposed to be expected to trust their judgement? Besides, she _hated _being left out of the loop.

But she realized, as she noted the students surrounding them were closing in, that she didn't have much of a choice. Whatever she could think up would only serve to better her own position and leave the two girls with her high and dry, especially if they couldn't understand the signals she threw their way. So instead, she nodded grimly at hoped that Rinoa knew what she was doing.

Rinoa flashed the elder woman what was supposed to be a reassuring grin before whirling around and raising the arm the launching dock was strapped too. Seconds later, the Blaster Edge worked its magic and launched the pinwheel fastened to it forward, the blade arcing up into the air even as three students ducked or dove out of the line of fire. With her free hand, Rinoa threw it out and caused three balls of ice to blast down at the nearest set of students. Like their comrades, they moved too.

Beside her, Alicia gulped heavily but Xu failed to notice as she opened fire with her glocks, the blasts that were meant to be dodged colliding with the smooth floor beneath the retreating students' feet. Like Rinoa, Xu worked on threading the masses and opening a path for as long as it would take Alicia to reach her destination. The students all scurried like rats in search of cover as Rinoa and Xu both took turns attacking and forcing them back and away.

And then Alicia was running, almost stumbling in her haste to reach the emergency doors. Xu registered movement and reacted quickly, sending warning shots flying at the students who attempted to intercept the seemingly fleeing girl.

Sensing the magic that pooled around them before seeing the evidence of such a thing, Xu forced Rinoa down onto the ground, very narrowly missing the pointed edge of the Blizzara spell that protruded from the floor seconds later. Without missing a beat, she opened fire, not bothering to stop to rise to her feet. When her glocks ran out of ammo, she dropped them in favour of sending spells blasting from her fingertips. Fire, lightning and ice all shot towards the students, who were either preparing to retaliate or searching for cover to regroup. Xu barely allowed them the chance.

But then a sudden breeze blasted in from the hallway and Xu's gaze was directed a few feet away from her targets. She spotted Alicia holding onto the door as tightly as she could, the errant wind blasting her hair every which way. Seconds later, she was forced to roll back as a student took advantage of her hesitation and leapt forward, the sharp tip of his scythe impacting with the floor where her head had been moments ago.

In retaliation, Xu threw her spells out again, the particles of para-magic impacting with the bladed end of the scythe before she got the sense that there was movement coming from behind. She whirled around in time to see the advancing student but not quickly enough to avoid the attack to the shoulder she sustained from the bladed weapon he held. She rolled away before the wound could deepen, staining the tile with blood from her now wounded shoulder.

Cursing herself for allowing the distraction, Xu swiped forward, collecting both glocks as she made her movement and once she'd reloaded backed away. Blood flowed freely from the fresh wound but it was a shallow cut. It would heal. It could've been far worse but she'd been lucky. But she only had time to raise the weapon in her own defence when one of the students suddenly rose up into the air, like a giant hand had plucked him up from his spot on the ground. Said student began to panic, waving his arms and legs into the air frantically which resulted in his loss of weapons. The students around him backed away with wariness and fear in their stances as the floating student was flown through the air and sailed out of sight through the emergency door, his screams of fright disappearing with him.

But before she could figure out what in the hell had just happened, it happened again. The student with the scythe was unceremoniously picked up off the ground and as he made his flying descent out the emergency door, Xu spotted the wings that had sprouted out of the student's back. By the time she spotted the source of the spell, a third student joined his two comrades outside and a fourth was plucked from the ground in the same fashion.

Rinoa stood in her casting stance when Xu finally took notice of her and she watched as the girl almost effortlessly guided the protesting students towards the emergency exit and made the motion of tossing them outside. It was then that the Lieutenant got a look at the girl's plan and she couldn't help but find that she liked it. What better way of evacuating the Garden of unwilling students then forcing them out? And the closest way to get out of the Garden from their location just happened to be the emergency exit the younger girl had inquired about moments before.

_Clever girl, _Xu mused before she assumed a casting stance of her own. Once she threw out her spell, she watched as wings sprouted onto the backs of four cadets before they could dive out of range. With the same kind of control Rinoa appeared to possess (though slightly more effortlessly), Xu tossed the students out of the Garden one after another, watching as they disappeared from view once she released the spells and beginning anew. Suddenly, their task didn't seem to be all that impossible.

* * *

After leaving the elevator behind them, the trio had started their journey down the tunnel they had found themselves in. More appropriately, the Headmaster was absolutely positive that said tunnel led to their desired destination and with nowhere else to go, they followed the pathway lined with the flickering out of date lighting systems that threatened to blink out of existence with each step they progressed. The flickering lights barely helped at all, which in turn forced the three to use the walls as their guides despite the advantages the GF's bestowed upon them. It wasn't enough to see clearly through their dim surroundings, no matter how much their vision adjusted to the lack of light.

Not one word was spoken amongst them as they'd continued along the way. The only sounds distilling the silence were the footfalls upon solid ground and the light breathing of everyone present, joined occasionally by the pressing of palms against the rough grainy walls that surrounded them on all sides.

Zell had taken point, followed closely by the Headmaster and leaving Squall to bring up the rear, the latter's attention split between proceeding to their destination and watching for members of the Garden Master faction should they have been followed. Everyone was more than a little jumpy from their scare with the elevator and while no one had brought it up it was very likely this Norg guy wanted to be done with them.

So for a while, they continued to move at the pace set by the brawler, the tunnel seemingly shrinking around them as they moved forward. It was as though the ceiling was closing in on them, giving them the feeling that most claustrophobic sufferers are forced to deal with. Zell was absolutely _positive _that he wasn't imagining things though, because as he looked behind he found that both Squall and the Headmaster were forced to crouch somewhat as they moved further down the tunnel. Being the shortest of the trio, the brawler did not encounter this problem. Yet.

He was proven wrong a few minutes later when he slammed forehead first against the stone-like upper limit, and everyone had stopped for a few minutes more until the brawler's curses had died down, both in length and in volume. It was only thanks to his junctioning that he was still even conscious, and fortunately a little while later he discovered that the sharp throb had been reduced to a dull ache.

By the time the ceiling became far too low for any of them to walk along comfortably, Zell was both disbelieving and aggravated. How the hell had people been expected to make repairs to a place they could barely fit in? No wonder they had given it up for lost and that this place looked like shit. But then he felt the texture of the ground beneath him shift from the debris and dirt to which he had become accustomed to the cool metal of something else and he flinched when his skin came into contact with it. Unfortunately, this had the effect of knocking the back of his head with the low-hanging ceiling and he spit another stream of curses as he clutched and cradled the wounded section of his cranium, wondering how the fuck was this even fair?

"What is it?" The Headmaster asked from behind. Zell noticed that the elder man had stopped his movements, more than likely having realized the brawler had stopped, and was grateful that they hadn't caused a collision.

Forcing away the tears of pain that had stained his eyes, he craned his neck so he could look at the elder man from over his shoulder and answered him. "Dunno," he said slowly before looking down to inspect his find. The metal plate he had discovered looked weird and stupid in contrast to the smooth but grainy dirt covered floor beneath them. It was covered in dust that had been upset by the brawler's passing and, as he wiped it clean even more with the base of his fist, he discovered hinges and what looked to be a lever. It only took Zell a moment to figure out what he'd just found. "What a dumb place to put a door."

"That's the door that leads into the pipes below us," the Headmaster explained quickly. "And it's the faster way to get to where we want to go."

"Okay then," Zell said as he forced himself up onto his knees (mindful of the ceiling above) and cracked his neck and knuckles. Counting backwards from three, he grabbed a hold of what he supposed was the handle and attempted to turn it. He grunted with the strain as it seemed like the door had been shut tight, and that the collected dust and debris within the cracks must've done something to the mechanism to practically seal the damn thing. It was almost a full minute before he found that the handle had given a little, though not enough to actually open the door.

"Need some help?" Squall called from behind the Headmaster and Zell tried very hard not to flinch in surprise from the unexpected question. He was actually grateful for the request once the weight of the question hit him and was about to take the other SeeD up on his offer, but the hum that came from the back of his mind where his GF's were stopped him cold. Diablos' presence alone was enough of a reminder of the events that took place in the Tomb of the Unknown King. Before they had encountered the GF Brothers, his group had stumbled upon a strange room that they had to navigate with pictures to cross. The pictures on the floor were a link to traps that were unavoidable, so the hope was to get out with the least amount of injuries as possible.

Zell had been perfectly fine but Squall had been forced to cross the trap itself, having been too short to reach the bars on the ceiling alone. Zell and Irvine had barely managed to get him out of there alive, and it had started when the Squad leader had been asked to help the brawler turn the mechanism that, in the end, dropped the bridge that led into the centre pillar.

"Nah, it's cool," Zell waved off casually as he took hold of the handle tightly. "I got this. You just keep an eye out for the Garden Master's goons."

As he went about prying open the door again, it suddenly occurred to him that he was not the one in charge, that Squall was technically the Squad leader. Not only was that implication enough (though it didn't really seem at all like Squall gave a shit about stuff like that), the Headmaster was also present and how bad would it look on the elder youth if his subordinate talked to him in such a way? So he tacked on a hastily added 'sir' as he went about his work, hoping that it would end the conversation. Neither mentioned the momentary lapse and Zell breathed a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

After a few tries of trying to pry open the door-in-the-floor, it damn thing finally gave way with a loud _creak_ that sounded ominous and turned his blood cold. The door was thick and heavy and composed completely out of steel and it was an effort and a half to actually get it open without it falling on top of him. After a few pain-stakingly long minutes of pulling, Zell finally threw his weight against the object and pushed it back, watching as it scraped loudly against the ceiling above before falling back hard against the ground ahead, disturbing more dust and debris and causing a cloud of it to rise up into the air. Zell could taste the grit and he spat almost reflexively to get rid of the horrible sensation.

Still, he wrung out his hands – feeling very proud of himself – and flashed the pair behind him a grin and a thumbs up before turning his attention down into the hole. Proper light finally graced them with its presence, almost blinding him with its illumination and caused the young fighter to blink as his vision caught up to the sudden change. Inside the tunnel, the walls were splayed a mustard-yellow from whatever light source was offered from below, and the ground was covered in a sludgy murky looking substance. Whatever the substance was, it was still and didn't flow in any direction. He could barely make out his own reflecting in the substance.

Zell frowned at the sight. The good news was they weren't in danger of a tidal wave of the stuff coming at them, but he didn't really want to estimate just how long it had been just _sitting _there (if it was water). Shaking his head of the thought, he wondered fleetingly if he'd been hanging around Rinoa too long and forced himself to concentrate on the mission itself.

So without a second thought, the brawler pulled himself down through the hole, his fingers and thumb gripping the edge as he flipped bodily and then finally dropped feet first into the murk. The stuff sloshed up from the impact, though not nearly as much as the brawler had expected it to. It was far heavier seeming than what whatever was supposed to be, and though it only reached the top of his toes he still couldn't help but wonder.

"Oil," Squall announced from above, saving him the precious time that would have been spent mulling it over. Zell looked up and noticed that both the Headmaster and the Squad leader were looking down at him through the hole. "This hole leads into more of an oil stratum than just some piping."

"If anyone has followed us down here," the Headmaster added, "then we'll need to be careful about fire magic."

Zell gulped slightly before turning to inspect the oil, knowing that it would be the perfect place for the Garden Master goons to ambush and finish them off quickly. The stratum itself was huge and felt like they were inside of the central pillar in the Tomb of the Unknown King all over again. The top of the stratum curved around them and while he suspected the bottom was more of the same the metal grating he was standing on served as a walkway, barely covered by the oil that had collected. Zell wondered how deep the oil really was beneath his feet. The stratum also curved and the brawler could tell which direction they would be going in from a fair distance. It was like riding on a train near the front of the car. The gaps between cars would be a dead giveaway as they shifted at each turn, allowing the riders to note which direction they were headed.

Both Squall and the Headmaster dropped down and soon they were walking once more. They didn't have too far to go, because soon they reached that turn and Zell realized that the grated platform they were on led into a stone one just beyond the stratum. The oil was supposed to leak beneath the landing, dripping down a distance the brawler didn't really want to take note of, and so he didn't. More than likely whatever controlled the movement of the oil needed to be powered somehow, or that whatever chain reaction was supposed to power something. Either way, there was a possibility that it powered the contraption they were looking for.

But unlike the grated platform, the stone platform was a short one that curved out from the stratum and ended with a ladder that led further below. Beneath them appeared to be a pit of some kind but, unlike the elevator shaft from a while ago, Zell could see the bottom clearly. It looked like a steel plate that was supposed to split from the very middle. It looked like it had been rusted from years of disuse.

Zell took point again and climbed down the ladder until he was standing atop the stone outer-ring that surrounded the strange metal floor. As the Headmaster and Squall reached the same level, the brawler crouched down and used the back of his hand to knock against the floor. There was a loud and dull echo that answered him back, telling the youth that it was hollow beneath the flooring, like there was something on the other side, but Zell couldn't tell just from that whether or not it would actually support their weight.

Looking back up, Zell spotted what looked to be the start of another ladder to his right and a door opposite his direction, kind of like the one you'd see on steam boats or even the ship they took during the Field Exam. Squall might have seen it too because he stepped out onto the plate, simply pressing his foot down against the surface just hard enough to test the weight. They had the good fortune that it could actually support him but deciding not to take any chances, both Zell and the Headmaster watched until Squall had made it to the other side before proceeding one at a time.

A small circular window sat in the centre of the door and Squall was looking through it – not having actually entered the room itself. When Zell finally reached them, the Squad leader was already looking away and turned to address the other two. "It looks like there's some kind of valve inside that room," he commented. "It might lead us further down this level."

The door swung open with a sharp _creak _that was unpleasant to the ears. The room itself was very small and cramped looking despite being completely empty. Zell assumed it had to do more with the size as he spotted a dashboard along the far wall with large looking lights embedded inside the machinery. In the very centre of the room, positioned a little bit in front of the machinery, was the valve Squall had mentioned. It was big, probably big enough for three people standing comfortably side-by-side to grip it. The walls of the room itself were a mix between bronze and red, but along them it looked as though someone had taken a saw to them, causing large circular holes to expose he metal that surrounded them on all sides. That sense of claustrophobia that had left him upon entering the oil stratum returned with a vengeance, but he shook the feeling away albeit with difficulty.

Squall approached the valve and gripped one side of it with one hand before fixing the brawler with a pointed stare. Getting the meaning after a couple of seconds, Zell realized the intended message and stepped forward to grab the other end. Squall had very good reason to do this, because the valve looked almost rusted shut from years of disuse, much like everything else in this dump. Junctions or not, anyone would have trouble turning it on their own.

Once he was in position opposite the Squad leader, Squall nodded in his direction. "We'll pull on three."

Zell nodded back in a show that he understood and when the count began he gripped hold of the metal tightly, preparing himself to pull with all the strength he possessed. When they reached three, both SeeDs began to pull and turn towards the left, but the damned thing just didn't want to budge. After a bit of exertion, Zell had to wonder if it had been welded shut. But just as he thought that his hands were about to pop off from the strain, he felt a sudden shift and almost fell forward into the Squad leader when the valve began to move in the desired direction. The brawler didn't look up to see how Squall was fairing because he quickly became engrossed in what he was doing, which had become far easier to accomplish once they'd actually managed to turn it. Now it moved easier with far less effort.

"The walls," the Headmaster – who had stayed a fair distance away if only to stay out of the way – exclaimed suddenly.

It was enough of a reaction to get both teenagers to stop what they were doing. Looking up, Zell realized exactly what Headmaster Kramer was talking about. Through the exposed bits of the wall, he spotted the panels in a position he didn't remember seeing them previously.

Because they were moving.

Encouraged that turning the stupid valve was actually doing something, Zell returned to the task at hand, but Squall moved away from the valve and towards the door back out into the pit. Craning his neck, he was just barely able to see beyond the threshold once Squall stepped out of the line of vision and his jaw dropped at the sight afforded him.

The floor they had used to cross over into this little room was opening up. Granted, it wasn't opened up _completely_, but he could clearly see the edge of one half of the plating and knew enough to figure out that the valve had also been responsible for this.

No one spoke about this discovery. No one had to. Squall immediately resumed his position at the valve and, together, the two SeeDs turned the object quickly, encouraged and motivated by the discovery. It was only after another minute of turning when the valve removed to budge any further. Another look outside revealed that the valve had completed its work. The gap was now opened all the way, the ladder they had spied earlier leading down a pit that's bottom appeared almost infinitely far away. Wordlessly, the trio began their descent. Zell found himself taking point once more but was not complaining as he set the pace down the ladder.

Soon, they reached the bottom, which turned out to be more of a narrow bridge beneath them. The long metallic platform stretched about a yard or two before leading to a set of stairs leading further down. After progressing a couple of flights, they took a sharp left turn that led even closer to a bottom that opened up into a circular base. In the very centre of this base rose up seemingly into the heavens was a large circular tower. In fact, this whole chamber was circular in shape, reminding the brawler of the first and second floors of the Garden itself.

There was no doubt in his mind that they were in the very foundation of the building they were trying to save.

He whistled lowly, much like Irvine would have when witnessing something shocking or awe inspiring. He'd known the Garden had been big, but he'd never thought it could've been _this _big until now.

"Where to now, Headmaster?" Squall asked, seemingly forgoing the sight-seeing tour for their more pressing matters.

"Our next destination should be on the other side of that pillar," Headmaster Kramer answered. Squall nodded once and, with a gesture, they were off once again.

But when they reached the opposite end of the pillar, Zell frowned as he couldn't see what it was they were looking for. In fact, there didn't appear to be anything that suggested they could progress further down at all. It was just the same as the opposite end, the circular flooring curved to meet its other side and railings were erected to keep unobservant people from simply stepping off. Zell knew better than to suggest they should jump for it, since he had no clue what was beneath them or how far they would have to fall to get to it.

Zell was about to curse when he spotted something to his left that caught his attention, something that stuck out in comparison to everything else surrounding him on all sides. But when he turned to inspect it further, he did curse, because it turned out to be another ladder. However, instead of leading down, it seemed to scale up, towering as tall as the pillar itself.

He frowned at the sight, wondering if this was just some perverse wild Chocobo chase.

"Another stupid ladder," he groaned, garnering the attention of both Headmaster and Squad leader. "Where does _this _one lead?"

"Up there," Headmaster Kramer supplied helpfully as he pointed over to the right.

Following his gaze, Zell saw exactly what the elder man was pointing at. Just a few feet below the ceiling looked to be a bridge that led to some room along the wall. Zell wondered why none of these places could be reached by more constructive and convenient means instead of the creative arcing locations that gave him a headache just thinking about finding out how to reach it?

He guessed it'd be kind of a dumb thing to ask when the guys who probably built this place were probably dead and everything. Probably.

So instead, he said, "Oh, up there…" and then winced as he realized he sounded like a dumbass.

"It seems like this ladder is our only way to reach that room," the Headmaster added. He was eyeing the ladder with some hesitation. "But I'd wager that it probably won't support everyone's weight. Only one of us will be able to proceed. I'm certain that we have to continue to descend in order to reach the mechanism, but I have a feeling that the only way we can do that is through that room."

"So then who's going up?" Zell asked.

Almost immediately, Squall approached the ladder. "I am. You wait here with the Headmaster. We can't afford an ambush if we were followed down here."

"But…" Zell complained. It wasn't that he didn't want to guard the Headmaster, or that he was shirking his responsibility. It was an important job to be handed and he was happy to know the Squad leader trusted him with the Headmaster's life (even if he was the only real viable option). But if there was equipment up there, Zell knew he had a better chance of figuring it out than Squall did.

Squall appeared to realize this to, because he cut the brawler's protest off. "If there's something I don't understand, I'll radio you. Headmaster, do you still have your radio on you?"

Headmaster Kramer nodded in assurance and withdrew the object from its clipped position along his belt. "The frequency is 0-1-8-0."

Squall nodded in response and then he was ascending the ladder, climbing as quickly and, seemingly, as carefully as he could manage. Zell bit off another protest at the sight, knowing that when Squall made up his mind he very rarely changed it. He was almost as stubborn as Rinoa, though thankfully in most cases he could see the logic in an argument and would act accordingly.

Zell couldn't help but notice as the Headmaster shifted from foot to foot, but it was the ghost of a grin that creased the elder man's features that truly caught Zell's attention. Before he could regard him about it though, the gesture was gone. It left him to wonder if he'd just imagined it.

Above them, Squall was still climbing, gaining altitude as the seconds ticked. Zell didn't expect the journey to end any time soon, because his earlier inspection of the ladder showed it disappearing into the shadows that clouded the ceiling above. He did not envy his comrade in the least. Even still, he wished Squall would just hurry it up and get a move on, because waiting like this was just something he was never really any good at, especially in a time of crisis like now.

But then his stomach jolted as he heard a loud metallic _creak_. Zell barely had the chance to blink before the ladder detached itself from the pillar and careened dangerously backwards.

"Dude! Hang on!" Zell shouted before realizing that letting go of the tilting ladder was probably the furthest thing from Squall's mind. The ladder, while installed within such a sophisticated building as the Garden, had been constructed crudely. Zell noticed that the long poles which formed the carcass of the ladder had been riveted into place rather than supported by welding materials that would have secured the object more forcefully. In addition, it was rusted, only and had not looked the least bit safe. The brawler was just starting to realize exactly why the Headmaster had mentioned it probably wouldn't hold everyone's weight and he cursed. Squall might have been the leader, might have been one of the most stubborn people that he knew, but Zell knew that the guy was much heavier than he was, from the upper body strength he possessed from training with the heavy gunblade for so long.

Suddenly, a more of the riveted brackets flew off the metal girder with a loud _ping _that seemed to echo off the desolate walls. Instantly, the already leaning ladder snapped like a whip and propelled further back and Zell could only watch as the Squad leader clung tightly to the underside of the ladder. Desperately, the brawler shouted for Squall to curl into a ball to brace for impact but his warning fell on deaf ears, the height between them being too far for words to pass easily. And then the ladder was crashing through the window of the very structure the SeeD was trying to reach…

* * *

_And scene... hehe, I'm evil. _

_Okay, so that wasn't nearly as bad as some of the previous ones, but meh. It's still good, it's still good._

_I know the emergency exit was an easy out, but I hope I managed to pull it off without turning anyone off. Again, I'm terrible at puns and jokes. As for the lack of monsters in the MD level, it never made any sense to me why they were there in the first place, so they were cut as well. If anything, the old and decrepid surroundings of the level are more than enough of a danger, I would think. The particular ladder at the end of this chapter is proof enough of this, I would think. _


	25. Chapter XXIII: Eye of the Storm

**Chapter XXIII:  
Eye of the Storm**

* * *

He shifted minutely, the sounds of sliding glass and metal filling the air and distilling the eerie silence. There was another sound that all but shattered the still air, a voice that sounded close by and yet when he looked up there was no one around.

The voice was the thing that had broken through the fog that clouded his mind, bringing him closer and closer to awareness until the sound finally stopped. Barely having registered the words that had been spoken, he groaned softly as he pushed himself up onto his elbows, the glass beneath him cracking as the weight proved to be too much for it to handle. Minutely he wondered why there was glass beneath him in the first place, but his mind was still encased by the fog, causing thinking to be a slow process.

The world swam in front of him with each movement, causing a tantrum in his stomach but he swallowed back the nausea as he forced the gears in his brain to turn. The room he lay in was a disaster, a window shattered and debris hanging almost uselessly through the gaping hole, small metal poles and bits littering the floor as much as the glass did.

It took him longer than it should have for him to figure out what had happened, and when he made to sit up, he was met with resistance. Looking behind, he spotted that much of the debris had half-buried him, pinning his legs down onto the ground. Blinking almost stupidly at the beams and poles that held him in place, it did not register to him that he might be able to slide out from beneath them. Instead, his mind decided it was finally time to break through the fog and instantly he remembered the ladder he had been climbing to ascend to the room above them, how the brackets had broken apart from years of disuse and disrepair. I dull "Oh" escaped him as the realization sunk in, that the ladder had not been able to sustain his weight at such a height and as a result had sent him careening into the nearest place. He found himself almost uncaring as his gaze swept through the mess he made again.

He wondered fleetingly how long he had been unconscious, if he had been at all, but then something touched down onto the ground in front of him, garnering his full fog-filled attention. He recognized the figure as Zell, who took in the sight of him and ran over, the crunch of glass echoing about them as he reached his side and proceeded to pry the debris from his legs. It wasn't long before the SeeD was free and albeit slowly he managed to slide out of the way before the brawler dropped the heavily load he held, causing it to clatter noisily to the floor.

"Dude," Zell asked as he helped the elder SeeD to his feet. "You okay? We thought you bought it, 'specially when you didn't respond when we called you…"

Squall's gaze fell to the radio strapped to his hip and he realized dully that it was probably where the voice he had heard had come from. Strangely enough he didn't remember it sounding like the brawlers though, and he puzzled over it briefly.

Or perhaps for a while, because he was brought from his thoughts when Zell shook him by the shoulder, a concern expression in his features. "You alright man? Did the crash jar somethin' loose or something? You hit your head?"

"Maybe," Squall said slowly, and he raised his left hand to his head for a brief inspection. He felt a slight bump on the side of his head, which explained why his thoughts were coming back to him so sluggishly. Maybe Zell was right, maybe he had knocked something loose.

But then in a moment of panic it came back to him and he was suddenly aware he had no idea how much time had passed. When he asked the brawler, the shorter youth looked mildly relieved, but answered the question anyway. "Dunno. You were awake when I got up here. Got Diablos to fly me up here to check on ya, what with you not answering the radio when we called." He winced slightly, as though someone had shouted or screamed against his ear. "Yeah, he's not too thrilled with me right now…"

"Wait," Squall said suddenly, stopping to regard the brawler. He had been searching for the devil-like Guardian Force but hadn't found any sight of him, but a sudden thought had forced his attention elsewhere. It at least answered the question about the voice from the radio. "You left the Headmaster back downstairs? Alone? What if we were followed by the Garden Master's people?"

Zell winced again, and for a moment Squall felt the panic start to take over. But he forced himself to calm down as what he saw in the brawler's features wasn't the realization that he had screwed up, but it became more defensive and offended. "Dude, seriously? You think I'd leave him down there if I thought he was in trouble? Take a look over there."

Zell pointed behind him and as Squall looked out the broken window he realized that the damage to this room hadn't been the only thing caused by the destruction of the ladder. The bridge it had led to had been taken down with it, along with the catwalk and the ladder that had brought them down to this level in the first place. If someone was planning on following them, they would be faced with a dead end, or hours of sifting through the rubble. Either way, they were safe. For the meantime.

But considering they still had the missiles to worry about, safe was a relative thing.

Squall didn't say another word on the subject and Zell appeared to take it as the end of the subject. Hearing movement from behind, Squall turned around in time to spot the brawler shoving pieces of the now broken ladder and glass off the console to his right. "What're you doing?"

"The Headmaster said he figured this room could get us to keep going, right?" Zell asked. If he was still hurt by the earlier accusation, he was doing well not to show it. "So I'm checking out the controls. From the looks of it, I'd guess this terminal controls the outer plate."

Squall returned his gaze to the broken window and as he looked down and realized what Zell was talking about. The pillar appeared to be far smaller and more insignificant than it had from the base up and, from this height, the platform surrounding it appeared equally small. He couldn't even make out the Headmaster at their current height. Surrounding the platform that both youths had been standing on before his ascent was a circular plate. It looked like it could retract from the design he could make out and figured Zell was probably right in his guess.

Regardless of what Squall was doing, Zell continued to talk. "I noticed them when Diablos was bringing me up here, but it reminded me of a cover on a camera lens, you know the kind. The ones that retract like blades when you want to take a picture? I'm thinking the plate might be the one thing that's getting in our way."

"So what're you doing?"

"Disabling the outer plate so we can keep going," Zell answered as he flashed the older teenager a grin. "At least, that's what I'm _hoping _will happen. This thing's ancient. It's only got a few buttons, so it won't be too hard to figure out how to work it, but if it turns out it's the wrong controls, then we're back to square one."

Zell continued to fiddle with the controls but barely a few seconds after he'd explained what he was doing, the floor shifted from beneath their feet. Looking out the window once more, Squall caught his breath when he took in the sight beneath him.

But now, the outer ring he had spotted before was beginning to retract, receding into the platform it surrounded looking a lot like curved blades from a fan, sliding into place like an army knife.

In receding, the also provided him with a massive view of what lay beneath the plate. It was a massive area that didn't appear to have one direction so much as it had many. It was far too wide and vast to be quickly navigated and, with a sick feeling in his stomach that had nothing to do with his earlier nausea, he realized they had no idea where they would go once they got down that far. He had no idea how much time they had left before the missiles hit them. One wrong move and all this effort would have been for nothing.

"You ready to head back down?" Zell asked, coming to stand beside him. The question shattered Squall's train of thought and after a moment to collect himself he nodded in answer, though with the busted door and the collapsed bridge that led away he had no idea how they were going to get back down. They could always use the collapsed ladder, but there was no guarantee that it would hold out for the both of them to cross.

Zell appeared to be thinking along the same lines, because he spared the broken ladder a distrustful glare before scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "So… how do you feel about air travel on a giant bat-like devil?"

* * *

Both SeeDs landed onto the ground with a hard _thud_, the brawler having recalled Diablos when they were just barely a couple feet off the ground. The landing was a rough one but neither one paid it any mind as they saw the Headmaster make his way over to them. "That was a very close call," he said as he craned his neck back so he could take in the sight of the destroyed ladder.

Zell winced sharply, but having recalled the brawler's earlier explanation about utilizing Diablos for a taxi and the results, Squall was willing to bet it had nothing to do with the Headmaster's remark and ignored him. "We should get going, sir. We've managed to open the way down. How much further is it to the mechanism?"

"We're getting close," Headmaster Kramer answered before pointing behind the two SeeDs. Turning around, Squall spotted a mechanism overtop a portion of the railing with a blinking green light. "The gate will lead us further down, though I suspect another ladder awaits us."

Zell didn't even try to hold back his groan, though Squall couldn't blame him. He was still unnerved from when the ladder had broken out of the blue, but he wasn't about to let them know this. He would save his complaints for later, but that was only if he felt like sharing.

"Right," the brawler said, "let's just get this over with. _I'm _going first."

Squall shrugged, not willing to argue with the shorter youth and watched as Zell walked forward and began to inspect the gate. He was just about to step forward and give the brawler a hand when the Headmaster's voice stopped him.

"So Zell ended up with Diablos…" Headmaster Kramer's tone of voice sounded contemplative, speculative even. Regardless, it was this very tone that caused Squall to pause in his movements. It was with this statement that Squall remembered about the cursed lamp, the very lamp that Diablos had sprung from in a dark and empty ball of black energy after Selphie had accidentally shattered it. He also remembered that it had been the Headmaster who had given it to him, it had been the elder man who had warned him about touching it. More importantly, it was the Headmaster's words that confirmed a truth he had already surmised.

But that only gave him more questions to puzzle through. For starters, if the Headmaster had known about Diablos being inside, why had he given it to _him _specifically? There could've been any number of people who could've received the rumoured cursed item from the elder man, or the Headmaster could've kept it under lock and key to use in such a situation that required the additional strength of a GF.

"So you knew about the GF in the lamp?" Squall asked, unable to hide the shock and curiosity from his voice.

The Headmaster nodded almost simply in response. "As I said before, if someone with great power were to use it, it would be of great assistance." He fixed Squall with a side-length glance. "And it would seem like I gave the lamp to the right person at the right time. Though I was not expecting to see anyone else junction with it."

"Yo!" Zell shouted, interrupting Squall as he was about to ask for an elaboration. Squall turned to regard the brawler in annoyance while the Headmaster gave his attention to the younger boy, remaining calm and neutral in appearance. "Those missiles aren't gonna just _wait _for us ta stop 'em, right?"

"Too true," Headmaster Kramer agreed as he moved to the brawler's position. Zell had managed to open the gate and was beginning to climb down. "We don't have much time to waste."

And as soon as Zell disappeared from view, the Headmaster began his own descent. He stopped right before he too could disappear under the plate, fixing the Squad leader an expectant look. "Coming Squall?"

Having nothing else he could possibly say to such a dismissal, Squall offered a grunt in response as he followed the pair.

They descended the ladder in silence, taking slow and measured steps to as though afraid it would collapse right out from under them. The trip felt far longer than it actually was, since the ladder itself only took them a couple metres further down. Soon everyone had reached the bottom and they left the ladder behind without a glance as they continued along the path. Despite how open it had appeared from the observation office, there actually wasn't much left to add about the bottom level. There was another platform ring that surrounded the bottom of the pillar and further east of them was a catwalk that led to another platform opposite of them.

On either side of the catwalk was what appeared to have been a surface of oil. What it was doing there, Squall didn't know. But he couldn't help but think that should someone light a match and accidentally drop it, the missiles wouldn't be needed to finish them off.

Headmaster Kramer immediately made for some kind of lever a few feet away from the ladder. Squall and Zell exchanged a puzzled glance as the elder man flipped open an ancient looking keypad. He fiddled with it for about a minute before the lever suddenly switched positions, proving that despite how old it looked the keypad still worked. The motion of the lever was followed shortly by a large metallic sounding _clink clank _and a rough sounding rumbling. When they turned their attention ahead of them, towards where the sound was coming from, they spotted a wall opening up right where the catwalk supposedly ended.

"That's where we're headed next," the Headmaster supplied unnecessarily. It was kind of obvious what choices lay before them.

The trio crossed over the catwalk without incident and soon were standing on the opposite side of the pool of oil. Upon taking in the sight that had been hidden behind the retracted wall, Zell groaned audibly while Squall bit his tongue to prevent himself from doing the same. Beyond them the floor seemed to slant up towards the wall in an upward arc, with two pairs of pipes that stemmed the wall, one on the left and the other at the far back. Both pipes led down to another pit that seemed to have been built into the slope, and beyond the grated platform that circled along from the front of the gap was _another _ladder that led further down.

"I assure you Zell," the Headmaster reassured with a ghost of a grin, "that this should be the very last ladder we will have to descend before we reach the machine."

"If I _never _see another ladder again in my whole life…" Zell started but allowed the sentence to trail off in favour of grumbling under his breath instead.

Squall swallowed the annoyed sigh at the sight of the metal contraption and took the initiative. He stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and the ladder and was soon scaling it further down. It seemed like the journey was almost done, and he could only hope that all of this travelling hadn't been for nothing.

* * *

The internal systems displayed the targeted location and, once it reached a specific point, the missile allowed its left wing to point down for a brisk descent. The other missiles followed suit, each of them leaving a trail of white vapour behind in their wake. Descending on the cloud cover, they were the recipients of a breathtaking view of the ocean. The light of the sun and sky reflected over the surface of water, giving the illusion that it sparkled.

Because they were machines, however, the missiles ignored the scenery and continued forward. Soon, they were ploughing over the ocean, high enough that the water beneath them was not whipped around by the sudden air disturbance.

The ocean itself was vast in its own right, but in the same direction the missiles were currently plotting towards was a beach surrounded by grassy plains. The distance between the missiles and the Garden was quickly dwindling…

* * *

Running past the turnstiles and out into the sun lit outdoors, they were forced to shield their eyes from the sun, its light almost blinding them with its intensity. Around them was utter chaos as students and SeeDs continued to fight amongst themselves despite the threat of the missile attack. There appeared to be no end in sight to this conflict, the SeeDs and students almost determined to win this battle or to die trying. He, like his partner, assumed that the belief of the news being nothing short of a ruse to distract them from locating the Headmaster was so strong it would take nothing short of a miracle to convince them. Unfortunately, the alternative left something to be desired. After all, he wanted to live to see his twenties.

But then he spotted one of the cadets charging back from further ahead, sprinting as though it were a 100 meter dash. He held a set of binoculars in hands so tight they turned white at the knuckle and, judging by the paler to his skin, something had him panicked. The student tried to shout in order to get everyone's attention but his voice and shouts were drowned out by the constant fighting. It was only when an advancing Garden Faculty came around to issue more orders that the student appeared to have garnered some luck. Grabbing hold of the robed man in what could only be described as an assaulting manner, the youth tore free the whistle that normally sat beneath the collar before blowing on it hard, eliciting a shrill _shriek _that caused a pause in the fighting and had resulted in many of the people who were close enough to wince and grasp at their ears from the noise.

"They didn't lie!" the student shouted when all eyes had fallen onto him. He raised the hand he held the binoculars up as high and tall as he could. "I saw them! The missiles! They're headed right this way! The Galbadian's set them on us!"

SeeDs and students exchanged worried looks amongst themselves, some still appearing sceptical at the thought of an attack at such a time. But the student would not be deterred and he shoved the binoculars into the chest of the Garden Faculty he had robbed before shouting out, "take a look for yourself if you don't believe me!"

Handling them almost as though they had contracted something contagious, the Garden Faculty raised them to his eyes in the direction the student was ushering. Not even seconds later the robed man nearly dropped them in his shock. No one spoke as they waited for the report from one of the many people who were concerned with the running of the Garden, but they didn't have to wait long for the man to regain his composure. "Evacuate the Garden!" He burst out, and instantly feet were pounding the pavement as both students and SeeDs reacted as one. "Sound the alarm! It is not a trick!"

He went about giving his orders before retreating back the way he had come, taking the road that would lead him to the Garden proper. Everyone else had given way to panic as they pressed passed one another in an attempt to reach the Front Gate first. Others ran after the Garden faculty, more than likely heading to the Garage to secure a faster means of travel that would take them far out of the range of the missiles. He could hear in the distance as the fire alarm sounded soon after the chaos had erupted, one that had been created by the most basic of human instinct. The instinct to survive.

Standing rooted to the spot, they both could only watch as everyone ran in the two directions, panicked shouts and screams filling the air when moments ago they had been at each other's throats. After about a minute, the pair exchanged uneasy looks between one another, nodding solemnly as one seconds later. They had a job to do and now that everyone finally believed them, it was time to move onto the next phase.

So the pair ran towards the Front Gate as quickly as their legs could carry them, navigating through the throngs of people yet never allowing each other to get too far out of eye sight. Shaken, but nowhere near the panicstricken level that their comrades had fallen victim to, Fujin and Raijin left the Garden grounds behind them. Not once did they stop to look back.

* * *

"Is that the fire alarm?" Rinoa asked, raising her voice to be heard over the sharp _trill _of the alarm.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Alicia asked in a panic, turning her head this way and that as the students and SeeDs nearby passed her. One accidentally knocked into her but Rinoa caught her quickly enough that she didn't fall to the ground.

"Never mind," the Lieutenant barked and Rinoa got the sneaking suspicion she was asking the same question. "The alarm'll do our jobs _for _us! We need to get out of here, now!"

"Fujin, Raijin," Alicia said through the communications device she gripped tightly in both hands. All that she received for her efforts was a static noise that was also overtaken by the alarm. "They're not responding!"

"Either they've already jumped ship or their communicator got destroyed in a fight," Lieutenant Xu surmised sharply. "Regardless, we need to get a move on!"

Rinoa bit her lip, not at all liking the thought of leaving the pair behind, but she wasn't given any time to argue the point as Xu started towards the stairs. Alicia was at her heels, barely keeping up with the elder woman. Reluctantly, Rinoa followed after them, pushing past the students and SeeDs who got in her way.

* * *

"We're here," Headmaster Kramer announced as he reached the bottom of the ladder.

The area they found themselves standing in was large, with railings on either side of a catwalk they were forced to cross as well as along the rest of the room. The ceiling curved up over their heads far taller than they would have credited it for, reminding him of a dome from some sports arena. He could barely tell much else due to the darkness they found surrounded them on all sides.

But he could make out the terminal that sat in the very centre of the room, right where the platform they treaded across seemed to end. When he got closer, he could make out a strange mechanism that seemed to protrude from the very centre of the ceiling, spiralling around and around like a cork screw. It reminded Squall an awful lot of a diagram he had once seen as a child of the human intestines and how they were supposed to work.

"Oh man…" Zell exclaimed as he took a step closer to the terminal. "So what're we s'pose ta do now?"

Squall frowned thoughtfully, knowing that this was the reason they had brought Zell along in the first place. "Unfortunately I can't say for sure," Headmaster Kramer supplied in answer. "No one's been down here before, let alone to figure out what this thing does once it's been activated. I only know how to get to it."

"I would assume the console up ahead would be how you control it," Squall added with a verbal shrug.

Zell pressed along ahead and when he reached the terminal he began his inspection. Squall and the Headmaster, meanwhile, pressed closer though they stood a few feet away to give the brawler enough space to work comfortably. But as time continued to move and Zell continued his inspection, Squall got a sense of foreboding that wasn't all that comfortable. He stepped closer and his frown deepened as he took in the confused look on the younger boy's face. "Aren't you the one who said you knew everything there was to know about machines?"

"Well, _yeah_…" Zell said awkwardly, his gaze never leaving the terminal. His tone gave way to his confusion and Squall's stomach sank as the brawler continued. "But I've never seen one like _this _before. This is some serious old school technology we're dealing with. Mighta been the hype in its time, but it's probably all but obsolete now. Progress, you know?"

"So you can't figure out how it works?" Squall demanded rather than asked as the foreboding feeling in his stomach intensified. He was suddenly reminded of the parade, of how Irvine had talked himself up as the world's greatest sniper, only to choke at the very last second. While it had taken some time to convince the sharpshooter to take the shot, it had been troubling and a panic inducing inconvenience all the same, one that Squall wasn't looking forward to repeating.

Zell groaned almost hopelessly as he continued to look over the machine, as though making absolutely certain there really was nothing he could do. Squall mirrored the action, finding that he wouldn't have been able to fault the brawler for not being able to understand a piece of equipment that was probably older than the both of them. Maybe if luck was on their side they'd be able to find legible instructions that would help them figure the function of this machine out. As the brawler let loose a sigh of frustration, Squall continued his own search.

But scarcely before the thought crossed his mind, he felt eyes on him and found the brawler staring at him. "Don't suppose _you'd _have a clue what to do, would you?"

_And hell the hell should I know_? Squall thought bitterly. Like Zell had already mentioned, the machine was ancient and if the brawler – who seemed to know exactly what he was talking about when it came to anything technical – couldn't figure it out, then what hope did he?

His rising frustration wasn't just limited to this stupid machine either. From the moment he'd been dispatched to Timber, it seemed like everyone was constantly asking him questions. At first he hadn't minded, simply because he had been put in charge and he had realized it was inevitable for his team to ask for his opinion. By the time they had left Timber and gone to Galbadia Garden, he'd felt like ramming his head against a brick wall at the frustration of it all. Could no one think for themselves when he was around? Why did he have to pick and choose every single damned thing they had to do, or why did he have to give the okay when they actually did make a decision? As time had passed on, the habit the others had fallen into seemed to get worse and worse to the point where he could've screamed had he possessed less self-control. Yes, it was his job to look after everyone, but he wasn't going to hold everyone's hand while they tried to work out what should've been common sense.

But now was most definitely not the time to whine about his thoughts or feelings on the matter. So he swallowed his complaints and continued to search for a lever or some kind of button or _something _that would scream out at him. But then he looked down and spotted something along the ground. Crouching down, he picked the metallic item up and brought it close to his face so he could inspect it closely. It wasn't long before he realized what he held in his hand was a small key. It was not unlike the one the Headmaster had given him to reach the MD level and when Squall looked at the dash again, he realized there was a small impression along the middle along a circular object on top of the console. From the looks of it, it was supposed to revolve.

He looked at the impression before returning his gaze to the key in his hand. From the looks of it, the key _might _be able to fit the slot, but there was really no guarantee that it was that easy. It was a long shot, but it was better to try something instead of just stare at the machine like a dumbass and waste the time they would need to save the Garden. So before he could second guess himself, Squall inserted the key into the slot and was pleasantly surprised to find that it fit.

"Whoa," Zell exclaimed, almost startling the SeeD. "Where'd you find that?"

"On the floor just now," Squall answered simply before he twisted the key to the side. He had no idea what possessed him to do so, only that he realized what he had done right after the action had taken place. Maybe he had been subconsciously encouraged by the thought the key had actually fit, that it might actually do something. In the end, nothing happened, aside from rotating the disc-like object in an 180 degree angle. He twisted it again, but this time, nothing happened at all.

"What're you doing?" Zell asked suddenly. The Headmaster put a reassuring hand on Zell's shoulder before quietly shushing him. The brawler looked like he wanted to protest but instead kept quiet.

Squall had no idea what was going through the Headmaster's head, but opted not to say anything in response and focus his attention on the dash in case he was missing something. There had to be something else he could do. But then, the ground shifted beneath the, causing Squall to instinctively reach out and grab a hold of the console to keep his footing. He turned to look behind him and found that both the Headmaster and Zell were hanging onto the railing but had also managed to maintain their balance. Currently they were both looking around trying to figure out the cause of the mini quake.

Squall's first thought was the missiles had arrived, but there were no follow up quakes or shifts that would back the theory up. Zell looked like he was about to say something but as he opened his mouth to speak, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped open with his jaw hanging loosely as he pointed behind the elder teenager. Thinking that maybe Zell had discovered the source, Squall turned around and was surprised at what he saw.

There were sparks protruding from the strange mechanism behind the console, and then what looked to be gears began to revolve, spinning in a motion that started out slow but picked up speed as the seconds passed. There were four sets of gears in total, with two of them at the top of the strange wall from right to left and the other two spinning from top to bottom. A loud mechanical whirl filled the air suddenly, droning out any and all sound, including the static electricity that had initially disturbed the silence. To Squall, it sounded something like an engine.

"I _that _supposed to happen?" Zell asked. He had to raise his voice in order to be heard over the mechanical whirl of noise.

Squall shrugged in response before returning his attention to the console. When he caught sight of what was happening in front of him though, he backed away a step, unsure of what was happening and not altogether convinced he liked it. The console itself was a live with lights, mostly light blue and green, but there were a few bulbs that had turned a deep red or even a bright yellow that decorated the edge of the platform. A slot that looked like someone was supposed to pull a lever was alight with a brilliant green.

Another shift from the ground beneath them almost toppled the trio off their feet, though it had the added effect of throwing Zell atop the terminal. He took one look at the bright lights that hadn't been on until that moment and his features paled as he exchanged glances with the Squad leader. Headmaster Kramer was looking around in shock and surprise and seemed to be doing that for a while until Squall realized their surroundings were falling out from beneath them.

_No, _he mentally amended as he took another look. _We're the ones who're moving._

And they were. The platform that housed the console and all three of its passengers rose up into the air, forcing the Headmaster onto his rear and the two SeeDs to hold onto the dash for their lives. Above them, the ceiling opened up, basking them all with a bright light so furious that it forced them all to look away. Then the platform increased its ascent speed, sending them higher faster and faster, the speed becoming so focused that Squall was brought down onto his knees while Zell was pressed against the machine almost helplessly. Looking over, Squall noted how the Headmaster was pressed down flat against the floor, his features betraying his discomfort.

And almost as quickly as the sensation began, the platform stopped suddenly. So suddenly in fact that the trio was momentarily tossed into the air before dropping back onto the platform. Squall completely lost his balance against the machine he was relying on to support him and he ended up on his rear, legs splayed out like a cartoon character. Zell seemed to slip down onto his side, groaning as he made impact with the ground. The brawler shook his head but when he looked back up, his jaw hung open before he wordlessly pointed above them.

Squall followed the line of sight and soon realized what had managed to leave the brawler speechless. The rings that normally floated above the Garden were descending, slowly falling along the length of the windows, but they were glowing the same brilliant white colour they had been assaulted by. Realizing that he was able to look out the windows of the Garden, Squall took in his surroundings and realized that they were back on the third floor overlooking the large expanse that separated the offices. Belatedly, he also realized they were quite a height up. One look over the banisters that had sprouted on either side of the platform told him this. They had to be at least a few metres up off the ground.

Then, the Garden shook violently and nearly threw everyone off their feet as a thick cloud of dust sprung up, billowing up the front windows hat blocking their view of the outside.

* * *

Outside of the Garden, the rings that normally circled around the top of the structure slowly descended as they revolved around it, but as they made their movement, the very exterior of the Garden appeared to change. The very top of the structure was stretched as tall as it could, giving the illusion of growth while in reality the plates that covered the top just shifted apart, leaving what looked to be gaps in their wake. As the beam of light continued its trek down along the side of the building, a fin emerged from the back end while the sections leading to the extended locations that made up the outer ring of the Garden condensed and shrunk into a more compact size, shortening the halls that led to the corresponding sectors.

When the giant ring finally hit the ground, it threw up a cloud of smoke and dust so thick that it could have rivalled that of an explosion.

The advancing missiles took no notice of this and simply continued their charge towards the Garden, just as the dispel spells within the stones inside them activated. The mechanical arrows were filled with a volatile charge as the nitro-glycerine grew more and more unstable. The distance was down to no more than twenty miles and just seconds to impact. The red eye focused its terminal trajectory and the missiles pounded on…

* * *

She was barely able to grab a hold of the nearby railing to keep her from tumbling down the stairs. A look around told her the other two had done the same. Still, she felt the panic rise up before she was able to squash it and couldn't help but fear that the missiles had come and hit. Regaining control of herself, Xu pushed assed Alicia and Rinoa despite their protests and forced open the stairwell door that led onto the second floor. The sight she was afforded was rather grim. Despite the fire alarm, there were still students, SeeD and faculty running all over the place. Most of them were preoccupied with maintaining their balance against the quaking and only a few of them were successful in the attempt.

Another bad tremor shook the Garden and threw Xu into the panel that made up the threshold of the doorway, causing the elder woman to wince as her shoulder dug into the metal at an odd angle. "What the hell is going on?" Xu demanded, raising her voice to be heard over the rumbling.

Even so, no one answered the question. It seemed like no one had an answer. Stifling a curse that almost let lose, she was suddenly drawn back behind her by the sound of footfalls leaving the area. Turning around, she was barely able to catch Rinoa as she started back up the stairs. "Hey!" the Garden Lieutenant called after her, but it was only after the third call and re-entering the stair well herself before Rinoa finally stopped. "Where do you think you're going?"

"The third floor," Rinoa answered as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. Xu's eyes widened at the declaration even as the raven-haired girl turned her back on the elder woman and proceeded to continue her ascent.

"Whatever the reason, there's no time!" Xu shouted back. This forced the other girl to stop her movements. "The Garden is under attack! We have to evacuate now! You heard the Headmaster's order!"

"I don't think we've been hit by the missiles yet," Rinoa called out before darting up the stairs before the elder woman could stop her. Xu called after here, but this time the client ignored her.

She cursed under her breath before she followed after the raven-haired girl, determined to knock some sense into that stubborn skull of hers. Emerging from the top of the stairwell, she was just in time to watch as Rinoa burst through the double doors leading into the offices. Cursing again, Xu followed after her, only to stop short a few feet away from the door when she took in the sight.

Where there hadn't been anything before stood a tall pillar that looked more like an ancient looking lift. It was locked into place by some kind of mechanism she had never seen before. It was a few meters tall, towering over their heads almost intimidatingly, its bronze colour dulled from years of poor upkeep. Attached to the very top was a flat surface Xu hadn't noticed initially but before she could get back on track and retrieve the spirited girl, the building shook, though in a nonviolent way that caused Xu to rethink her earlier assumption. It didn't feel like a missile attack, more like the ground shifting out from under her feet.

Having realized exactly what Rinoa had been talking about, Xu turned her attention towards the windows, noting that she couldn't see anything past the dark fog that blocked off the view. Someone knocked into her front behind, thus jarring her from her thoughts and, turning around, she spotted Alicia, who must have followed after the pair as they'd run up the stairs. Rinoa meanwhile was staring at the strange newly-constructed structure, almost as surprised as the Lieutenant at its appearance.

Before she could scold the girl though, the fog that blanketed the windows seemed to fly away and, with it, Xu caught sight of the one thing she had been dreading. Headed straight for them was a collection of blue and red dots coming from the sea in the distance and as the seconds past the bigger they grew as they closed that distance. The white vapour that trailed along after them was all Xu needed to identify them.

"The missiles!" Xu exclaimed. Behind her, Alicia gasped in shock.

"NO!" Rinoa shouted in dread. Before she could say anything else on the subject, Xu grabbed her arm and pulled her behind the pillar.

"Everyone take cover!" She shouted as she braced herself for the impact that would kill them all…

* * *

The missiles raced across the field, quickly closing the gap between them and their target and breakneck speed before suddenly rising up off the ground, the white vapour trailing after them as they soared through the sky once again, cutting through the easy breeze that travelled along the air's current. They soared higher still, almost cutting through the light cloud cover and once they'd reached a height of twenty-five metres, they altered their trajectory, reversing as they began their descent, their mark at the very top of the Garden…

* * *

The missiles were in full view through the billowing smoke that otherwise obscured their view. There was no way around it, the Garden was far too big a target to miss. Whatever the mechanism in the MD level was designed to do, they had activated it too late to make a difference. The missiles were here, and there was no escape.

Despite knowing that their current position was not a safe one, Squall followed his survival instincts to the letter, ducking behind the console as he waited for the inevitable. Beside him, Zell crouched down low, covering his head with his arms in a futile attempt to stave off the attack, the Headmaster following suit from his prone position on the floor. Even as he tucked his head down and waited for the worst, he spotted out of the corner of his eye the sight of the missiles rising up to finish them off from above. But a tremor that could not have been the result of the missiles impact rocked them, threatening to throw them all off the platform and to the floor below.

Alarmed at the jarring motion, Squall pulled himself up over the console, despite the shouts from Zell telling him not to, and gasped as he took in the sight. Above their heads, the missiles were speeding a course straight to them, preparing to finish them off, but strangely still there was no impact with the Garden and they blew away as they impacted with the grass lands that surrounded them. There was no reason for them to miss and yet here they were, hitting everything but the Garden itself. Not a single one hit its intended target, which shouldn't have been possible.

"The missiles," Squall gasped aloud, unable to keep the awe from his tone as he spoke. "They're… they're missing. Every one of them is missing us!"

Movement beside him drew his attention rather briefly, and he barely spared Zell a glance as the brawler stood up to take in the sight, his jaw hanging open in arrested awe. Movement from behind signalled the Headmaster had done the same. "You don't think that mechanism was some kind of shield, do ya?" Zell asked.

Squall didn't respond initially, because he didn't have the answer. Neither did the Headmaster, who had already confessed he had no idea what the mechanism was actually supposed to do. Somehow, he wasn't sure that a shield was the case, because the missiles would have simply rebounded of the protective surface instead of bypassing them altogether. But before he could point this out, another tremor rocked them, though not nearly as violent as the first, followed by a blinding bright white light that went off, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. Actually, the tremor wasn't like any of the previous ones they'd felt at all. The violent tremors had been short lived, predictable and rough, but this one was slow and bearable, almost constant even. When Squall removed his arms from in front of his face, he could only gape at the sight he was awarded with.

The Garden was _moving_.

The dust cloud had disappeared entirely, revealing to them the sight of the plains as they blasted across the continent, the movements of the cloud above being too quick to have taken place under natural circumstances. Squall knew without a doubt that the Garden was mobile, but he couldn't answer how.

"I see," the Headmaster said, gaining everyone's attention. Zell made some kind of awestruck sound in the back of his throat as he took in the sight in front of him. "So _this _was Garden's secret!"

"Garden's secret?" Squall echoed. Headmaster Kramer simply laughed.

"You would think that while we were building this place, the builders would have mentioned that she could _actually _fly," he continued with a smile. "It looks like I was right. The mechanism saved the Garden after all."

Squall wasn't entirely sure that statement was accurate and his attention was drawn back to the sight of the missiles – which were still missing – as they flew past the windows. The missile base had been Galbadia's only long-ranged defence against Esthar, and for the missiles to miss this badly had to mean something had gone wrong on their end. Squall was more than positive that the Garden would have been completely destroyed had any of them connected with their target, and his first consideration as that Selphie's team had managed to do something to them, if not stop them completely.

"Sir," Squall announced. "I need access to the communication module. I'll need to contact the rest of my team in Galbadia."

Before Headmaster Kramer could respond, their attention was redirected by a shout from below. Looking over the railing, Squall caught sight of the Lieutenant, the girl from the library and Rinoa as they stood below them. The raven-haired girl in particular was waving at them enthusiastically, wearing a huge grin that betrayed her relief at the evasion of the attack.

"Are you okay, sir?" the Lieutenant shouted.

"I'm alright, Xu," the Headmaster responded assuredly as he offered Rinoa a wave back. "How is the rest of the Garden? Were you able to evacuate the building?"

"Not as many bodies as I would've liked, sir, " the Lieutenant responded. "Someone pulled the fire alarm, but by then it was too late for it to be of any use. Fujin and Raijin are not responding on their radios. They've probably already left the grounds."

"Then we've dodged a fairly hefty bullet," the Headmaster sighed. "If this hadn't worked, we would've sustained heavier damages than I would've been comfortable with, but I'd say it's safe to say we've managed to pull through in spite of it all."

Sometime between Squall's request to the Headmaster and the Lieutenant's report, Zell had been talking. Squall had no idea what the brawler wanted or what had drawn his interest, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to block it out. He turned to throw a look in Zell's direction, but the brawler was oblivious as his attention was captured by the view outside. "I can even see my house from here," he was saying in an voice that betrayed his awe.

Squall started at the exclamation before standing beside the brawler to see for himself but he did not share in the younger fighter's joy when he took in the sight. Zell was, of course, exaggerating because the view of the houses in front of them couldn't be discerned from one another. What gripped Squall's attention was the knowledge of Balamb town in their sights as the gap between them steadily grew shorter.

It took Zell maybe a couple of seconds longer to register the implications of what he had said because the smile was wiped clean from his features and replaced by a look of horror and panic. "_Shit_! The town! We're headed right for it!"

This captured everyone else's attention, because Zell – being a normally loud person anyone – had shouted this exclamation and the volume of his voice insisted that he not be ignored.

Within seconds the Headmaster was standing beside them – both Squall and Zell moved a step back to allow the elder man some room as he began to press seemingly random buttons. A loud blipping noise filled the air as he did this, but a look from the window supplied that his efforts were doing nothing in navigating the Garden away from the path of the town. If they didn't do something fast, they would crash into it, causing severe damage to the structure and injury to the people. Squall didn't really want to consider the death toll from the collision.

"The controls aren't responding," Headmaster Kramer said needlessly. Still, Squall's stomach plummeted at the response and, as the elder man whirled away from the console, he fully expected the man to order them all to brace for impact.

But his next set of words nearly blew him away as the unexpected happened. "Squall, can you think of something?"

His mind went blank at the question, his mind not altogether processing what it was the elder man was asking of him and he could only supply a dull "What" in response. But then his brain caught up with him and he felt like someone had taken a swing at him. "No! How would _I _know what to do?"

"Dude!" Zell added sounding desperate. The brawler was gripping onto the railing so tightly his knuckles had turned white as his facial expression was the pure definition of worry. "_You're _the one who turned this damned thing on in the first place! There's gotta be a way to turn it away!"

"I found a key and twisted it in a slot," Squall shot back. "_Anyone _could've done that!"

"We're closing in!" Xu shouted from below, interrupting anything the brawler – who had gone white with dread – could have said. There was no doubt that the girls below them knew exactly what was happening. "Whatever we're doing, we better do it quickly, or we'll crash headlong into the town!"

"Squall, you've gotta do something," Rinoa shouted in horror. "_Anything_! Turn this stupid thing!"

"Oh man, oh man…" Zell groaned and muttered as he began to pace the length of the platform, running his hands through his hair and along his face, seemingly restless even in panic.

Headmaster Kramer was giving Squall an imploring look that the youth could only return with a helpless one. Why was everyone depending on him to do something? It wasn't like he'd found and wrote the damned owner's manual to the mechanism, he'd found a key and put it in a hole. The Headmaster had said so himself, no one knew what the mechanism was. No one knew enough to know how to operate it.

He took a look at the console again, still not knowing how to redirect the Garden's movements. Within minutes, they would crash into the town and it wouldn't matter that they managed to avoid the missiles, because they would have finished the job the Sorceress had started. There wasn't a damned thing they could do about it and still everyone expected him to pull a miracle out of his ass.

But he couldn't just stand there and not do anything. He was as desperate to stop the Garden as everyone else.

So it was with a growl and a curse that he gave into their demands, practically lunging to the console as he began to press any button he could get his hands on. He didn't know what each of the buttons were supposed to do but he didn't care, so long as they did _something_. He spotted the control he had noticed earlier and pulled the lever as far back as it would go before rotating the strange circular object only because he could. After pressing more buttons, the Garden suddenly shifted violently, nearly throwing everyone off the bridge once more.

But this time, Zell, the Headmaster and Squall managed to keep their balance and remain standing. Without missing a beat, Squall continued to press any button he could find when the Headmaster's voice stopped him. "Yes! It's working! The Garden is turning!"

_It is?_ Squall thought in what could have been a comical situation as he raised his head to look out the window, drawing in a breath at the same time. He released it seconds later as he saw that the Headmaster was correct. Within a few feet of crashing through the train station, the Garden was swerving to the left before proceeding up and a full minute later they were passing harmlessly over the harbour instead of crashing into the small buildings they would've destroyed.

Bu their celebration was short lived as they came face to face with the ocean that stretched mile over mile ahead of them. At the angle they were headed, they were about to crash headlong into the water's surface. Squall had performed a miracle when he managed to turn the Garden but he doubted that he would be able to perform another, so it was as he was gripping onto the dashboard of the console that he raised his voice as loud as he could and shouted, "Everyone, hold onto something! Brace yourselves for impact!"

Seconds later, another violent jolt shook the Garden, this time almost sending him flying forward and then back again as the building tipped headlong into the ocean. But strangely just as quickly as the tremor started, it stopped. After a moment, Squall looked up, realizing that he was still alive somehow and, with a look around, that everyone else was too. Furthermore, the Garden wasn't sinking. It had seemingly righted itself upon the impact and he had a constant view of both ocean and sky until they met on the horizon. A look down caused him to discover the truth, that the Garden was actually _floating _atop the water's surface like some kind of ship or vessel.

Zell looked up at that moment, took in what Squall saw and threw his hands up into the air in exasperation. "It flies through the air, it floats along water," Zell remarked candidly as he ticked his fingers for every point he made, " next you'll be telling me it makes Julienne fries."

Squall rolled his eyes at the bad joke but opted not to say anything, the relief at still being alive and preventing the Garden's destruction making him more tolerant. A little bit. They'd done their job, saving the Garden from the missiles, but there had been a few bumps in the way and Squall was fairly sure he hadn't seen the last of them. The feud with the Garden Master Faction came to the forefront of his mind and with a groan, he didn't know just how much more of this he was going to take.

But then he remembered his earlier request to the Headmaster. Looking back up, he saw that Zell had gone back to window gazing. He didn't know what the others were doing down there but it sounded like they were celebrating. "Sir, about the communication module…"

"Oh," Headmaster Kramer started, at first not having understood what the SeeD had been asking of him, but moments later his eyes lit up in understanding. "Ah, yes, of course. It should be in my office." The elder man looked around suddenly before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "It appears that I have no idea how to get off this platform."

Squall frowned and looked around himself, only to realize he didn't have a clue either. For a fleeting minute he considered that the controls might have a way of getting them back down, but decided against messing around with the module. With the way their luck had been going, it was more likely he would accidently hit the Garden's self-destruct instead of what he was actually looking for.

But then a small rectangular chunk of the platform fell away suddenly, causing both Squall and the Headmaster to exchange puzzled glances. But then the plank was rising back up, but it was carrying a passenger. With a giggle that could've rivalled Selphie, Rinoa lunged forward, almost tackling Squall in a hug that he was very barely able to avoid. The raven-haired girl didn't appear all too concerned that she missed however, because she continued to giggle almost hysterically. "You did it! You said you couldn't but you did it, you _really _did it!"

"Rinoa, if I may interrupt," Headmaster Kramer interjected. The girl turned her attention towards the elder man, thus missing the sigh of relief that came from the Squad leader. "How did you get up here?"

"There's a button on the side of the gap thingy," Rinoa explained with a shrug. "So I just pressed it to summon the lift. Then I stepped on it and it brought me up here. I think it must be sensor sensitive though, because there weren't any other buttons to press or anything."

"Thank you, my dear," Headmaster Kramer said politely before he stepped onto the plank, addressing what he had to say next to Squall. "I'll take you to where you can use the communication module."

Squall followed after the Headmaster onto the plank and as they descended from the bridge, he caught the sight of irritation flashing onto Rinoa's features before she disappeared from view altogether. Once the lift had finished its descent, Squall followed the Headmaster into his office, the door opening as they passed through it. It was then that the Headmaster indicated his desk and, when Squall reached it, he recognized the device for what it was. It looked like a phone, but there were a set of numbers along the side that seemed to suggest it was organized by countries.

Though the radio interference affected all channels, it didn't mean that short transmissions couldn't still be possible. The reason for the radio communication facilities being shut down wasn't because the radio interference rendered it completely useless, but because of the noise that travelled throughout all frequencies, making long term communication almost impossible. This was why Squall had no questioned the Headmaster upon being told of the communication module, because the elder Headmaster could still utilize it to maintain short transmissions between himself and members in the field if need be. From what he had learned during his training after becoming a part of SeeD, these transmissions usually consisted of mission briefings between the team in the field and the Lieutenant, specifically during long term missions.

After a minute of scrutinising the communications module, Squall entered the frequency into the device before picking up the head set. Before he could initiate his call though, he heard Headmaster Kramer clear his throat suddenly and he looked up to fix the elder man his full attention.

Instead of speaking though, the Headmaster indicated the wall behind him where a monitor sat in full display and took up a large portion of the space. It had been turned on and was currently displaying a sort of news bulletin. It was Galbadian. He could tell this from the text that floated along the bottom of the screen, and from the accent the reporter held.

Squall watched the Headmaster signal that he was leaving the room, more than likely to retrieve the others, before doing so. Having been left alone, Squall finished setting up the call and waited as the phone locked onto the necessary channels it would need to in order to connect with Selphie's communication's device. As he waited, his gaze caught the sight of translated text from the news story, which had something to do with an explosion. Curious, Squall found the controls for the television along the Headmaster's desk and turned up the volume marginally in order to hear the story, realizing after a moment that it was about the Missile Base.

"…believed to have been caused by the same terrorists who reportedly escaped from the Desert District Prison hours ago," the reporter was saying. "Judging from reports that have been conducted by the investigators, the explosion of the Missile Base was an inside job, which suggests that the terrorists managed to infiltrate past security, an action that is currently under investigation."

Squall allowed a ghost of a smile to spread across his features at the news. From the sounds of it, Selphie's objective had been successful on more than just one account. Not only did they manage to successfully misdirect the missiles, but they destroyed the base itself to prevent the Galbadians from trying again. Not that they could, with the Garden now mobile, but at least they managed to do away with Galbadia's greatest long distance weapon. The enemy would be forced to enter close range from now on, instead of depending on attacks from afar.

But the next set of words caused the minute feature to be wiped from his features as though someone took an eraser to a chalk board.

"According to reports gathered from this reporter, the missile base underwent a lock down upon discovery of the intruders, but not before the terrorists could disable the power, causing a black out that caused even the nation's leaders some concern. By the time they were discovered, the terrorists had already initiated the self-destruct mechanism – a safety feature installed in the event of terrorist takeover. Fortunately personnel acted quickly, not only evacuating the building to ensure a low casualty count, but also locking the terrorists inside and preventing them from escaping their own death trap. As of now, we've discovered three bodies amongst the wreckage but there's no telling if these were the only people responsible or if there were more accomplices who were involved in this disaster. Because of the delicate nature of this investigation, the identities of the deceased are not being revealed to the public until an inquiry has been made…"

Grip tightening around the handle of the phone, Squall couldn't believe his ears and yet somehow knew that this was the truth. It had seemed far too easy for them to have escaped the missiles, for the missile base itself to have been destroyed. It went without saying that if they were caught there would be consequences but he had allowed himself to be hopeful that everything would turn out alright.

Even still he clung onto the hope that the bodies they had found were not Selphie and her team, that one of the trio would answer the call and relieve this worry as unfounded, that not one piece of this report was valid.

But then those hopes came crashing down as there was a sharp garble of static before the line went dead completely.

* * *

_And to think, this is only half of this particular arc._

_So now I can finally say good bye to this accursed arc. Man oh man did this one give me some problems. But I have to say I'm happy with the end result and I would like to think that this version was a lot more believable and realistic in comparison to that of the game. Or maybe that's just my competative side talking. Oh well, who cares. _

_You guys do... right..._

_Now onto those changes!_

_Instead of just having Squall do all the work on that upper room, I had Zell pop in with the flying plot device that is Diablos and work his magic. I know I wouldn't have trusted that ladder to support my weight after a scare like that, and I probably weigh a lot less than both of them too. And speaking of Diablos, Cid's response to Zell having junctioned with the Gravity GF is what I would have always expected. After all, he gave that lamp to Squall specifically and Cid strikes me as the kind of person who doesn't do anything without a reason. Moreover, he also strikes me as the kind of person who would know a lot of things he doesn't let on (the upcoming plot twist for example) so that makes me believe that he would have already known about Diablos. Again though, he would have expected for Squall to junction with Diablos, which I never did; he always went to the person who had Shiva, which was usually either Quistis or Zell. But I had to even it out, so Zell got the devil-bat GF instead. _

_The overall explaination of what was going on while Squall Zell and Cid were all in the MD level was another thing I wanted to add to the story to give the readers a break from their point of view. That's actually one part of this chapter I wasn't particularly fond of. I feel like it kind of just went too fast, but after re-reading and reproofing I don't really think there's anything else I could have added unless I changed the point of view it was in. That wasn't going to happen. That in itself was also a bit of foreshadowing on my part. _

_And as you guys probably noticed I took out that awkward freeze-frame laughing bit where Cid complains that his room has been destroyed. It seemed pointless to me, especially since it was an empty space to begin with. There are also offices around the area, and I would think that his room would be separate from his office. So yeah... that got cut. In its place though I added the news coverage of the Missile Base explosion, as well as the discovery of 'at least three casualties'. Of course the majority of you guys probably know Final Fantasy 8 well enough to know what happened, but I'm trying to write this in the assumption that someone who has not played the game will be reading this as well. So yeah..._


	26. Chapter XXIV: Drifting

**Chapter XXIV:  
Drifting**

* * *

Light poured through the window, bypassing the blinds that tried to feebly keep them at bay. He could tell this even through closed eyes, the blacks behind his lids not nearly as impenetrable as they should have been. The window was left slightly ajar, letting in the gentle breeze that came with the easy movement of the Garden as it sailed across the ocean.

It had been a while since they had avoided the missiles, since their return to the Garden and the discovery of the infighting. All of these things felt like it had been ages ago, and while he knew for a fact some time had passed, it should've only been a matter of hours instead of the years it felt like. Fortunately, some semblance of normalcy and order had been restored since the chaos. No mention of the Garden Master or the faction conflict had been made, and if the staff and students were displeased that the Headmaster was still running things, they were keeping their opinions to themselves.

But reminders still lingered in regards to the conflict. The damage to the Training Centre had been extensive. Everyone was fortunate that the surviving monsters that had been let loose had been returned to the Monster Den, and repairs to the fence as well as the pathway leading back out into the hall were a priority. This was the reason that the Public Address system was still not functioning, and if the Headmaster needed a message delivered, he was forced to send someone (namely the Lieutenant, though he couldn't imagine she was altogether impressed with being reduced to a messenger), down to deliver the message in person. When someone imagined that one never knew what they had until it was gone, they most assuredly were not kidding.

As exhausted as he had been once the Garden had crashed into the ocean and begun their trek to destination unknown, Squall hadn't initially gone to his dorm room for some much needed sleep. Instead, he had set out to assist the Garden in restoring some semblance of control, from luring the roaming monsters back into their dwelling in the Training Centre to ensuring that the number of injured were made priority to the infirmary. Occasional skirmishes erupted from both a lack of patience and nerves that were still overwrought from the fighting, but fortunately despite having to separate the fighting groups, everyone seemed too exhausted themselves for any real fight in their words or actions. It was relatively easy to split them up, and was usually done without argument.

But despite the knowledge that Norg's name had yet to come up in conversation between students and SeeDs, Squall knew it was only a matter of time before the Faction Feud would start up again. His real concern, despite knowing that the in-house fighting could begin again at any time, was what the Headmaster planned to do next. The Sorceress was still out there, and it would only be a matter of time before she realized the missile base had failed in their objective. They would have to be ready in case she turned her gaze towards them again, knowing what he did. For whatever reason, she believed SeeD was out to get her, and in preventing them from stopping her, she just made them into an enemy, but it would do them very little if they weren't prepared.

More than likely her focus now was taking over control of Galbadia Garden. A week had already passed when he first awoke in the prison – Zell and Rinoa had been nice enough to tell him this - so there was very little they could do to stop it. Master Martine had already known of the takeover anyway and his last hope had been with them assassinating the Sorceress before she could announce it.

Squall couldn't help but wonder how they were going to stop her, that they were no closing to keeping her from her goals than they had been upon their return. Not for the first time, the SeeD thought about the Headmaster and what his plans regarding the Sorceress were before another thought would come to mind. He had yet to make his report, both on the situation in Timber as well as the assassination attempt in Deling. He wasn't looking forward to either. Working with the Forest Owls had felt more like babysitting a bunch of spoiled pre-schoolers. Nothing had gone right, and nothing productive had been accomplished before they were forced to escape from Timber. However, the experience in Timber was far better than the one in Deling, because even now he refused to think on it too long. Nothing had gone right since his inauguration into SeeD, and just the thought of that felt like the ribbon that wrapped up the neat little package that was the failure of his career.

Worst of all was the waiting. Having returned to the Garden with the news that he possessed, there was absolutely nothing to do aside from the debrief. He absolutely _hated _waiting, something he shared in common with Seifer, but for different reasons. Seifer hated waiting because he wanted things done right away, he was always looking for something to do, something to prove. Squall hated having nothing to do because it left him alone with his thoughts, and he hated thinking above anything else. The worst thing about it was the fact that he thought about things that he'd rather leave alone, but there was nothing around to distract him and thus was his dilemma.

There was nothing he could do about the controls to the flight system that guided the Garden across the ocean. No one understood how the mechanism worked which, according to the Headmaster, hadn't been used since the Garden had been constructed from the remains of a Centran shelter used to escape the Lunar Cry 80 years previous. It had been a matter of luck that had led Headmaster Kramer to its discovery, and since the Centran settlers who used the shelter were probably dead by now, there was no way of knowing how it worked at all. Unfortunately they could only continue to drift until the controls were deciphered somehow and hope that they didn't crash into anything along the way.

His thoughts also constantly drifted onto the team he had sent to the missile base. The thought alone was enough to turn his stomach, the reminder that he had been the one to send them there in the first place constant in his mind whenever he thought of it. The report was still fresh in his mind, as fresh as the moment he had heard it, his thoughts falling to the three confirmed deaths that had followed the explosion. Despite how foolish it was, Squall couldn't stop himself from hoping that the trio had somehow managed to escape undetected with their lives intact. It was wishful thinking at best, because the Galbadians weren't incompetent and they would have noticed had the trio attempted to escape especially knowing that they were there in the first place. The thought depressed him to the point where he would force himself to stop thinking about it, at least until the next time their images crossed paths with his mind.

He still couldn't stop the guilt that wracked him despite his constant dismissal of the thoughts that accompanied the thoughts of his team, despite knowing that _they _had been the ones to initially volunteer for the mission. He could've argued that they had twisted his arm, that even if he had said no they still would have gone without his consent but those were just excuses to keep the blame off himself. The truth of the matter was he had agreed to send them out on what had most likely been deemed a suicidal mission in order to protect the Garden. Anything that had happened to them after that point was his responsibility and, like it or not, it was his blame to carry. He hated being responsible for other people, hated the feeling of knowing that something horrible had happened and that he had had a hand in it, that their deaths had been his fault in the end. He hated this feeling more than anything, the feeling that dropped his stomach to the soles of his feet, carrying his spirits with it.

He couldn't help but eventually turn his thoughts to the Sorceress herself. Knowing that she believed SeeD posed a threat to her, Squall couldn't help but wonder where she had gotten the idea, just that she believed it. He had learned so much from his interrogation at the prison south of Deling City (he was also loathe to let his thoughts linger on this topic). But he'd never heard of SeeD being Sorceress hunters before. They were mercenaries for hire and, as far as he knew, no one was stupid enough to pay a mercenary force to stand up against the Sorceress. And if it was true, if Garden and SeeD were meant to kill the woman, then why would use decide to utilize Galbadia Garden as her base? The decision spared it from becoming a target of the missiles like Balamb and Trabia had, and Galbadia had bases that would have served her adequately. He supposed there was some form of irony to it, that the base of her enemies would serve to destroy them. The question of where this woman had come from wasn't as easy, because she could have come from anywhere, and in the end it didn't matter anyway. She was here, she was in charge of the Galbadians and had labelled Garden and SeeD as her enemies.

As these thoughts continued to run rampant throughout his mind, Squall was grudgingly forced to realize that he was floating closer and closer to the surface of consciousness. Not yet ready to re-join the waking world, he resisted as long as he could manage, wanting nothing more than to stay beneath the blankets where nothing outside the boundaries of his dorm room could affect him. But he also realized, with increasing urgency, that he really needed to use the bathroom and that his body and bladder weren't going to wait for him to be ready to get up and face the world.

So it was with great reluctance that he cracked open his eyes, resisting the urge to close them again from the light that came in from the window threatened to blind him (which proved his earlier assumption correct). But the sight he was awarded with once awareness returned to him caused his eyes to widen as he recognized that he was not faced with the sight of the ceiling above like many mornings before this.

He was staring into the brown eyes of someone hovering over him.

With a start, Squall jolted into a sitting position as the intruder wisely backed away and barely avoided the collision of heads that would have ensued should she have stayed her place. Behind hands that were clasped together over a mouth that grinned at his expense. "Awe…" she commented through her giggles, "you looked so cute, sleeping like a little baby…"

"What are you doing in here?" He demanded hotly, convincing himself futilely that his face was growing hot from anger instead of the embarrassed blush that stained his cheeks at the remark. He shook his head wearily, cutting the girl off before she could respond. "Never mind that. _How _did you get in here? The door was locked"

Rinoa removed her hands from her face and simply clasped them behind her back and it was then that Squall realized what it was she was wearing. Her usual ensemble of a black tank top and shorts with the blue miniskirt had been replaced with one of the girl's Garden cadet uniforms. Even the blue sleeveless coat was conspicuous in its absence, though the only thing that was different about the ensemble was the loss of the yellow tie that would have otherwise been around her neck. While the uniform didn't suit her, she wasn't altogether unattractive in it and seemed to make it work for herself.

He realized belatedly, as Rinoa's grin grew wider and wider as the seconds ticked by, that he had been caught staring and forced himself to avert his gaze as he turned so his legs hung off the side of the bed. He was relieved at knowing he had at least opted to wear sleep shorts to bed, and tried to look nonchalant in his embarrassment as he waited for an answer to his question.

"Does it look good on me?" Rinoa asked instead, turning on the spot so he could inspect her better. Instead, Squall allowed his head to fall into his hands as he dragged the limb across his face. "The clothes I wore originally are in the wash and since I obviously didn't pack anything else back in Timber, Xu found a uniform that fit me. Kinda cool, huh?"

Squall huffed a sigh from behind his left hand before raising his head, forcing his features into an exasperated glare. "You're avoiding my question."

"And you're avoiding mine," Rinoa responded with a verbal shrug. She folded her arms across her chest and fixed her features into such a stern expression that he couldn't help but realize it was a poor impersonation of himself. He didn't know whether to feel amused or insulted but after a minute, she couldn't hold up the serious façade and she burst into another fit of giggles. "Alright, alright, how's this? I'll answer yours if you answer mine. So…" She did another twirl on the spot, her arms outstretched before facing him once again. "How do I look?"

Squall waited for a sign that would tell him she wasn't actually being serious, but after a minute passed and no such sign came he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You look fine."

"_Just _fine?" Rinoa asked in a mock hurt tone. It was her facial expressions as she tried to look offended that gave her away.

"I answered your question," Squall said through a sigh. "Now, how did you get in here?"

Rinoa grinned almost guiltily as she withdrew a small round object from a pocket in the uniform jacket. She held it out for him to see as she opened it up from the top to reveal a small mirror and a round disc of cotton. "The lock requires a keypad password, right? Well, most people are so comfortable with the security that they don't even _think _to wear gloves. So when you punch in your code, you leave a fingerprint on each of the buttons you press. Every so often, I'll wear makeup, so I just used some of the blush I brought along with me on the keypad and it told me which numbers to press. The only problem left was figuring out the order, but I managed to get it on the second try. The door just slid right open after that."

Squall couldn't help but stare at her as she related her explanation and by the end of it didn't know whether to feel impressed that she managed to break in without disturbing him or concerned that she had been able to do so. It was very unnerving to know that someone could just bypass the security system whenever they wanted, and that he hadn't so much as stirred as she had entered. If she had been an attacker, he would never have been the wiser and he scowled at himself in response.

Rinoa's features took on a defensive expression and she put her hands on her hips, clearly mistaking his scowl and its intended target. "Hey, I could've just gone ahead and picked the lock like I did at the General's mansion but no… you guys and your Garden just _had _to go all digital on me so I had to get creative."

"So you came here with the intention of breaking into my room?" Squall asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Well of _course _it's going to sound bad if you put it _that _way…"

The SeeD sighed heavily and allowed his head to fall into his hands again. "Forget it. What are you doing here?"

"Well…" Rinoa said. "I was thinking that you could show me around. Like, give me a tour of the Garden."

"So you were going to break into my room to get me to show you around?"

This time, Rinoa was the one to huff. "You know, you have a _really _bad habit of putting things in a bad light. I think it's the way you phrase things."

"Don't tell me that this is another one of your orders."

"Nope," Rinoa shook her head. "I just wanted you to show me around, to get acquainted with the place since, obviously, I'm gonna be here a while." She gestured out the window and Squall didn't have to look to know what she meant. With the Garden mobile, there was no place to drop her off and leave her behind. Even if they had planned to, without knowing how to navigate, all they could do was drift. "And I chose you because Selphie told me how helpful you were in showing her around when she first came to this Garden."

"I just showed her the directory."

"But she said you were awfully helpful in describing how to use it," Rinoa pointed out. "Besides, the monster wasp thing kinda flattened it with the rock monster, so with it kind of being broken and all I figured you could show me around properly."

Squall shook his head and noticed how Rinoa frowned slightly as he made the motion. "I still have to give my report to the Headmaster," he pointed out.

"Oh that," Rinoa waved off with a verbal shrug. "It's already been two days, so I'm sure it can wait another hour. Besides, Cid's apparently in a meeting and has been for a while now. Zell tried to give him his report earlier, but Xu told him that before she shooed him away."

The SeeD started at this information, albeit knowing that some time had passed by. But two days was a long time, and as he thought back he didn't think he could've been asleep that long. He hadn't been _that _tired, had he? Thinking back, he tried to remember what the last thing he had done before falling asleep had been, after helping to lure the monsters back into the Training Centre. He'd gone back to his dorm after that, gotten changed, removed his junctions and… then he woke up with Rinoa hovering over him.

_I must've _really _been out of it…_ he thought with a weary sigh. It occurred to him that he hadn't so much _fallen asleep _as he had simply fainted from exhaustion, and it was a small miracle that he'd woken up in bed instead of on the floor. It at least explained, now more than ever, that the GFs had been the only thing keeping him going. Moreover, it also explained how Rinoa had been able to sneak into his room without him being the wiser, which made him feel a little better, though not by much. It must've been luck that had kept the girl from being caught by another student or SeeD who had been wandering the halls.

"So…" Rinoa said as she tilted her head to the side. "Will you show me around the Garden or not?"

Squall barely heard her as he rose to his feet, only now just having realized why he'd chosen to get up in the first place. "Yeah, alright, alright fine. Just give me a few minutes."

* * *

"Did you fall in or what?" Rinoa asked as Squall emerged five minutes later.

Squall fixed her with a dirty look as he closed and locked the door to his dorm. Rinoa paid him no mind and giggled lightly as she recalled the time Zone had been practically unconscious for a day and a half after a late night party and how badly he'd needed to use the bathroom when he finally did wake up. She could only assume that the same thing had just happened to Squall and her thoughts were backed up by just how quickly he'd rushed her out of the room. Deciding to leave him alone, Rinoa let the subject drop by throwing at him a dazzling smile in response.

The Squad leader came out wearing and old pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt. He was still wearing his boots and Rinoa wondered briefly if he even owned a pair of running shoes before deciding that he probably only owned the one pair. She struck him as the practical kind of guy who would think anything additional to the bare necessities was a luxury that he could do without. He was the complete opposite of her in that regard.

But the one thing she did notice that she hadn't before was the metal band that sat around the ring finger of his left hand. From the glimpses she caught of the item, it looked very intricate, the total opposite of what Squall seemed. Forcing herself to walk along his left to get a better look of the object as the SeeD's arm swayed back and forth to propel his movements, she decided it was a weird design. There was lion etched into the metal, or at least it looked like a lion but there appeared to be wings sprouting from its back, creating a hybrid of sorts. It looked cool, but completely out of place on the 'set-in-reality' SeeD who was walking alongside her.

She wanted to ask him where he got it, or why he even wore it since it seemed to her he lacked imagination for those sorts of things, but she kept those questions to herself. She had already deduced that Squall was a private person at best, and gaining any information about the Squad leader was like pulling teeth.

Rinoa followed after him down the hall and out into the infrastructure of Balamb Garden. She couldn't help but feel like a little kid again, taking a tour with her class around the Presidential Residence back in Deling as Squall led her down the halls as she marvelled at the ceiling, reminded vividly of the Tomb of the Unknown King and it's central pillar that had reminded her of the church buildings in Deling City. But so far, Squall had said absolutely nothing of their surroundings, no explanation whatsoever.

Truth be told, Rinoa already knew her way around the Garden after two days of mindless wandering with nothing to do. But the reason she'd asked Squall for a tour had little to do with his oh-so-sunny disposition (or so she told herself) and more to do with wanting his take on his home. When she'd gone on the public tours back in Deling, the tour guide had always (very enthusiastically) given their two cents about the certain locations and buildings they'd passed and everything in-between. Instead of feeling like she was being dragged along from place to place, it had made Rinoa feel just as excited about her surroundings as the guide had been.

Granted, she knew better than to expect such enthusiasm from Squall, but she was curious to know how she viewed the various different places. Of course she could have just asked Zell, but since the brawler had already admitted he had a home in Balamb Town, she decided that the only way to really get the insight that she wanted would be if she toured with someone who lived her full time. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she wanted to spend more time with him, or so she told herself.

But when several minutes had gone by and Squall had yet to mention anything at all, Rinoa's hopes began to dwindle. Perhaps he would need a little nudge to get things going, Rinoa cleared her throat almost importantly before speaking. "This place is _huge_," she commented as she stared up into the ceiling above their heads. "Do you think this Garden's bigger than Galbadia?"

"Probably not," Squall answered with a shrug. Rinoa waited for him to elaborate and frowned when he didn't.

Rinoa sighed in frustration, recalling Selphie's assurance that Squall had made it really interesting and easy for her to know her way around. She was starting to wonder if maybe the elder girl had been exaggerating, or if Squall just wasn't much of a morning person. Either possibility was possible of course, so she determined that she wasn't about to give up just yet. "Hey, what's that place over there?"

She pointed over to the right, where she knew the cafeteria was, in the hopes that Squall would give her a more enthusiastic response. She was disappointed. "The cafeteria."

"And over there?" Rinoa persisted as she pointed to her left this time.

"The Garage."

"And back where we came was the Dormitory, right?"

Squall nodded in response and Rinoa slapped herself in the forehead. This wasn't how a tour guide was supposed to act. It wasn't supposed to be like pulling teeth to get a description of the place and she shouldn't _have _to ask him where everything was because he was supposed to just come out and tell her. "You know Squall," she said as she placed both hands on her hips. "You _could _try to make this a little more fun. You know, like a normal tour?"

She realized her error belatedly when Squall arched an eyebrow in response. Mentally kicking herself, she was reminded that it had been _her _idea to tour the Garden and that it had been _she _who had broken into his room and practically dragged him out of bed to play 'tour guide' with her. Sounding like an ungrateful brat just wasn't going to help the situation. "Not that I'm saying I don't appreciate you showing me around or anything, especially since you just woke up and everything. It's just that… well, I _thought _the idea of showing me around was that _you'd _tell _me _where everything is without me having to ask about it."

"Well isn't this a surprise?"

Rinoa looked behind Squall, who had turned around at the sound of the familiar voice, to see Dr. Kadowaki approaching them from around the corner. Remembering her last meeting with the infirmary doctor and knowing she had most assuredly not painted herself in a very good light in the elder woman's eyes, Rinoa simply waved awkwardly as Squall offered a nod of greeting. Dr. Kadowaki slowed as she approached them, looking between the pair and offering them both a smile that was almost knowing. "It's not every day you see Squall Leonhart walking around with a girl. I thought it was strange that you of all people would bring someone into the Garden. Is she your girlfriend or something?"

"No," Squall said as he shook his head. "I'm just showing her around since she'll be staying here for a while."

Rinoa frowned at his response, folding her arms across her chest and huffing almost indignantly. The guy was so straight back and honest about some things, she didn't think he even knew what a joke was let alone how to tell one. "Gosh, you're so serious!" She exclaimed.

Squall just looked at her with such a pathetically dumbfounded expression that Rinoa could've burst out laughing or crying. Currently, she didn't know which she wanted to do most. "Why couldn't you have just said 'yes' for fun?"

"Oh…kay…?" Squall said as his confused look intensified. He offered a shrug in the direction of the infirmary doctor as he said, "Yes, she's my girlfriend?"

Rinoa slapped herself in the forehead at how unconvincing he sounded but before she could point this out, Dr. Kadowaki burst out laughing. "Awe…" she said when she could speak again, "you both are so cute."

"So how are you today?" Rinoa asked awkwardly as she and Squall exchanged looks between one another. From the look on Squall's face, she could tell he was less than impressed by the doctor's characterization.

The question seemed to sober the doctor, because her laughter died down and she sighed in what could've been taken as annoyance. "Just peachy," she replied sarcastically. "Have either one of you seen Headmaster Kramer today?"

Rinoa shook her head in response. "I think I heard he's in a meeting," she added.

"Wonderful," Dr. Kadowaki sighed. "Well, if you do see him, tell him to swing by the infirmary, will ya?"

"Is something wrong?"

Dr. Kadowaki shook her head in response to Squall's question. "No, it's nothing like that. The guy just works himself too hard. He needs to take care of himself better."

"We'll pass along the message," Squall said before Rinoa could ask her to elaborate.

"I appreciate it," Dr. Kadowaki said before she continued on her way.

Rinoa watched her leave with a small pang of worry. Despite the doctor's assurances, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was something more serious going on. She knew from past experiences that people in a position of power needed assistance with dealing with their workload, either publicly or privately, and she wondered why Xu wasn't doing anything to lighten the load. She was the Lieutenant, so shouldn't she be helping to cut the work in half? Even the General had had people to delegate responsibilities to and he was the biggest control freak she'd ever known.

"Hey…"

Rinoa was rudely disturbed from her thoughts as someone suddenly clicked their fingers in front of her face with a sharp _snap_. Jumping backwards and blinking in surprise, she realized belatedly that she'd seemingly zoned out staring after the doctor in her concern. Squall was fixing her with a weary look as he lowered his hand to the side. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, sorry," Rinoa shook her head so vehemently that she caused some of her hair to fly into her face and she spend the next few seconds fixing it. "I just kind of spaced out for a second."

"If you want me to show you around another time…" Squall started but Rinoa planted her hands on her hips again.

"Oh no… don't even _think _that you're getting out of this so easily. The tour's still on."

Squall sighed in exasperation, a sign that the raven-haired girl took as her being right in her assumption, as he started towards the Garage. "Are you coming or not?"

* * *

It hadn't even been twenty minutes yet and already he was annoyed.

Huffing a sigh, he wondered what exactly had possessed him to bring the 'soiled princess of the Forest Owls' along the Garden and act as her unofficially designated guide in the first place. At any other time, he would have shot them down almost immediately. He was beginning to think that he was losing his touch and that his conscience was getting the better of him when it came to helping people.

They had just left the Training Centre with him being in a much fouler mood than he had been at the beginning of this morning. Rinoa, meanwhile, was laughing at his expense, as though the whole thing was the most hilarious moment in all of existence. It wasn't, at least for Squall. Even _he _knew that the Training Centre was most definitely _not _the spot to take a date, though even as he thought this a mental image of the Secret Area at the farthest point of the Monster Den conjured itself within his mind. He shook the thought off with difficulty, bothered that he should think of that place _now _of all times.

He could admit to himself that he wasn't exactly innocent in the annoying department. Rinoa had demanded to see _everything _in the Garden and so in a not-so-rare case of acting the asshole, he had taken her to the one place was sure to disappoint. The Garage had absolutely nothing of interest beyond the cars that were normally stored within its confines and even then it was bare, because many of the students and SeeDs who had been left behind on the continent of Balamb had used those in order to escape during the missile scare. Save for perhaps a couple of stragglers, the area was completely empty and totally devoid of life.

Rinoa had called him a smart ass for his efforts and had been irritated with him until they'd arrived at the Training Centre, where their roles had performed a reversal.

"It was a _little_ funny," Rinoa remarked through giggles as he led her towards their next destination.

"Next is the library," Squall said abruptly in an attempt to change the subject. They made the turn that would lead them to the corridor in front of the place. "It's open every day for twelve hours, 0900 to 2100."

"So it's the same as every other library," Rinoa quipped with a shrug.

Squall could only offer a shrug. He couldn't attest to the libraries in Deling City, but he could agree that the library in Balamb was open roughly the same hours. It wasn't near as convenient though, and he'd only visited the rare few times he'd been on outdoor classes or in town long enough to restock his supplies. "I should warn you though," Squall added offhandedly, "that it's the Garden Faculty who are responsible for the shipments we receive. Very few students actually agree with their choices of reading material."

"So there's no committee for the library?" Rinoa asked, sounding somewhat surprised.

Squall shook his head. "No, there's the library committee, but they don't have any real power. Their budget is about the same as the Disciplinary Committee, or so I've heard. They can recommend something but I doubt you'll find anything interesting. It's just one of those things that can't be helped."

"That… _really _sucks…" Rinoa said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Why do the _Garden Faculty_ get to decide what the _students_ get to read? That doesn't really seem fair."

"Who knows," Squall said with another shrug. Rinoa still looked like she wanted to argue and Squall reluctantly sighed and cut her off before she could. "The Garden Faculty have been around for as long as the Garden's been operational. They're the enforcers of the rules, or they've taken it upon themselves to do so. The students form the committees but overall it's the Garden Faculty who has final say over their budgets and activities."

"Oh…" Rinoa's expression lit up in understanding. "So the committees themselves are like after school clubs. I think I understand."

Squall shrugged in response and Rinoa's features broke out into a grin. "Sorry, I'm just seeing the similarities from my schools and the Garden. We had after school clubs that were organized by the students, only we had teachers who supervised our activities. They didn't have near as much control as these Garden Faculty does," again her nose wrinkled with distaste, "but they were more about preserving the school rules and keeping the public safety. Actually, the Garden Faculty kind of remind me more of the hall monitors we had roaming the corridors." Rinoa giggled at the thought. "Sadly we didn't much like _them _either."

"I think you have the idea," Squall said awkwardly, realizing that she was right. He hadn't thought of the similarities between regular schools in contrast to the Garden either and he realized they weren't as different as he had originally thought. He doubted the students of regular schools were allowed to tote weapons and fight monsters in training centres though.

"You sound surprised that I'm talking about my old school," Rinoa said through a laugh.

"You've never mentioned it before," Squall answered with a shrug, more than willing to allow the subject to drop.

Unfortunately Rinoa seemed to take his remark as an actual interest because she shrugged back. "There's not much to tell, really. Sure, I had a lot of fun, or as much fun as anyone can have sitting behind desks all day long, but I haven't been to class since I left for Timber and joined the Forest Owls." She appeared almost thoughtful as she mentioned it. "So I _guess _you could say I dropped out."

"Do you plan on going back?" Squall asked, not sure why he did. "After your work with the Forest Owls, I mean."

"It's hard to say," Rinoa said with another shrug. "Galbadia's really got their hooks in the country, so it could take years to truly liberate them. And really I haven't put much thought into it. An education's nice and all, but there's only so much you can learn behind a desk, right? And after I've got all my credits from high school, what then? Do I wanna go to college, continue going to school for the rest of my life to learn a trade or career? More importantly, what do I want to do with my life after school? It's all a big question that I'm not sure I have the answer for anyway. It'd just be a waste of time and money that could be better used to help other people, you know?

"And anyways, just because you have a slip of paper that said you graduated doesn't mean you're any smarter for it. It just means you were able to recite every lesson drilled into you with near accuracy, like a parrot. It doesn't tell you about the individual in the end. Most people forget it after a while, so it's not much of an accomplishment if you ask me, so it's seems kind of useless."

They stopped walking as they reached the doors that led into the library and Rinoa turned on him, a contemplative expression in her gaze. "Don't get me wrong, I don't judge anyone who chooses to continue schooling or anything like that. I just don't think people should be judged on whether or not they have a piece of paper that validates that learning. A kid who graduates from a really well established school or college isn't any smarter than someone who dropped out halfway."

She giggled awkwardly. "Sorry, I guess this means I _have _thought about it, and it sounds like I'm leaning towards not going back, but that might change. We have our whole lives against us, so I guess you can do just about anything you want to." She looked at him from the corner of her eye almost thoughtfully. "What about you? Obviously you graduated, since you're a SeeD and everything. I doubt they'd let you go if you didn't."

Squall nodded to her question, seeing no harm in answering. It was fairly obvious she'd already guessed the answer anyway. "Just this past spring."

"I _knew _it!" Rinoa shouted triumphantly, causing Squall to step back and raise an eyebrow at the suddenness of the action. Rinoa seemed to realize herself and even as she blushed in embarrassment, she still pressed on, almost sounding excited to have uncovered a hidden puzzle piece. "Quistis told me that she was eighteen and I knew you guys couldn't be that much farther in age. Selphie told me she was seventeen, and I guessed that you and Zell were likely around the same. So… unless Garden breeds super geniuses who graduate at the age of twelve, that would have to mean that SeeD uses a similar curriculum the rest of the world does. And if I'd have to guess, I'd say you passed your final exam on the first try."

Squall couldn't help but admit to himself that he was more or less impressed with her deductive skills. Regardless that both Selphie or Zell could've probably supplied the answer to her, she had managed to figure things out on her own, proving her earlier point of intelligence. Even he had been forced to concede with her earlier remarks, that just because they didn't have a piece of paper as proof didn't mean they didn't pick up on things. Rinoa had already proven that, while her emotions clouded her common sense at times, she had an amazing reserve of street smarts. All it had taken was getting her away from the Forest Owl's and the mission in Timber to see that.

So in response to her guess, Squall tipped his head forward in a nodding gesture, but was unprepared when the girl snaked her hand out and tapped it lightly against the top of his head. He scowled in response, feeling more like an obedient pet than a person even as she said, "You're a fine parrot."

Though almost as quickly, she removed her hand, placing both of them behind her back and winking at him playfully as she said, "Just kidding."

Squall folded his arms across his chest and fixed her with a glare that held no heat to it. For some reason, he didn't have it in him to feel any real anger or resentment towards her and he shook his head in exasperation, like a parent would patiently regard a child. "You know," he said, "I heard a saying once. If someone says they're only kidding about something, then really the comment was half true."

"Oh really," Rinoa replied slyly as she tilted her head to the side. "I'll have to remember that one." She returned her gaze towards the door, a contemplative look on her face. "So… are we gonna go inside now? Or is your idea of showing me around showing me the door? Not that it's an _ugly _door, mind you."

Squall sighed and, despite Rinoa's teasing, followed the girl into the library, but was forced to stop before he could bowl her over. She was standing in the threshold of the area, looking around as though she'd never seen anything like it. Shelves covered the walls on all side, stacked to the brim with books. At the front of the library there was a long counter where the students who formed the committee answered student's questions or recommended a book to read. Further beyond that were tables filled with people reading or writing. The wave of shelves continued further down the room, disappearing into nonexistence.

Having been in the library plenty of times before, Squall got the idea that he wasn't seeing what it was Rinoa saw and he couldn't help but wonder at why such a place was so mesmerising a sight. "Oh my gosh," she gasped. "This place is soooo _cool_!"

She revolved on the spot as though wanting to take in everything and anything her eyes could feast upon. Squall followed her gaze but clearly wasn't as impressed as she was. "All the libraries in Deling were so old and boring, brick like even, so stuffy. This place is so much more _alive! _So neat, so clean and bright too."

Finally she whirled onto Squall, her eyes alight in an excitement that seemed almost irrational to him. "Do you mind if I take a look around for a bit? Please? This place is so amazing I don't want to miss a thing!"

"So long as you're quiet," Squall said, careful to keep his voice down as he took in the faces that were currently staring in their direction. Rinoa's excitement had caused the volume of her voice to climb to a distracting level, and while there were a few amused looks, most of them were scowling at the interruption.

Rinoa seemed to realize this too, because she suddenly clasped her hands over her mouth, nodded once and made a beeline for the closest bookshelf. Instantly she was engrossed in the titles, her index finger pointing at each of the book spines as she read the words scrawled across the surface.

Squall shook his head at the simplicity, mildly amused at the raven-haired girls reaction. Honestly, he had never seen someone love books so much before, or maybe it was more the atmosphere. Rinoa was more of an optimistic person and she did seem to enjoy the company of other people. She had mentioned she enjoyed the brightness of the room so that might have something to do with it. He couldn't help but shake his head again, realizing that he had the perfect distraction in mind should he wish to leave for his own devices.

He contemplated just ditching her and moving on to give his report when he remembered that he had left a book on hold for himself shortly before receiving his mission assignment. More than likely it had already been recovered, since the hold policy on the library did not cover SeeD missions, but it didn't hurt to ask. So while Rinoa was engrossed in seemingly memorizing each and every title the library had to offer, Squall approached the front counter and enquired about the Battle Series he had set aside, fully expecting to be disappointed as it was a popular series. To his surprise, he was directed to the shelf where the holds were placed, directly behind him while the student went to look in her returns for it.

But as he went to start searching the rows for his student Ident, he paused as he caught sight of something in the next section of the library. Glancing up to see what it was, his eyes widened in shock as he took in the familiar figure who sat near the window in the larger sitting area.

While there were still bookshelves that crossed the stretch of the library, there were tables sectioned off in the back for student use. But this person wasn't sitting at one of these tables. Instead, she had opted to sit along the raised shelve that sat just in front of the window, a stool positioned for height and comfort as she leaned forward to read her book. Normally, he would not have given her a second thought, except that he had met her before. _Twice _before in fact.

Squall couldn't believe the luck. It was the girl, the same one who had visited him in the infirmary, the same one he had run into in the Training Centre with Quistis. He hadn't thought he would ever see her again, yet here she was without those white-clad men as her escorts, sitting along in the library almost innocently reading a book. She had her back to him, but he recognized that brown hair, and the strange green shawl she wore over her simple clothes. She was almost mousey in appearance, seemingly blending in but standing out at the same time.

Having the feeling that this meeting was no accident, Squall chanced a look to where Rinoa was, noting that she was immersed in what she was doing before he rose to his feet and started towards the strange girl, his book completely forgotten. This was his chance, his _only _chance to find out just who the hell this girl was.

He hadn't intended to sneak up on her at all, but when he was perhaps a few feet away, she raised her head suddenly and looked over her shoulder. How she'd managed to hear his footsteps, he had no idea, but her features lit up upon seeing him and she swivelled around bodily so that she could face him better. Placing her hands into her lap, she smiled at him warmly. "Hi."

Out of the corner of his eye, Squall took notice that the cadets who were working at the table nearby were fully engrossed in their studying and decided that they weren't about to be interrupted. Not knowing how to start, he decided to just come out with it. "…You were in the infirmary."

The girl's smile broadened and she seemed genuinely happy that he had recognized her. "Yes, I was." She spoke simply, her voice quiet and lending strength to her mousey appearance. If they had been in a noisy room, he doubted he'd have heard her. "You saved me from the monster."

"Yeah, I did," Squall returned awkwardly, without actually having meant to. She continued to smile warmly in his direction, though she giggled lightly at his returned response. He was at a loss to what to say next. Here was the girl, this mysterious girl, who seemed to know him, and yet he couldn't string a sentence together like some prepubescent boy who was trying to talk to the girl he liked. He knew he didn't feel that way towards this girl, but it felt very awkward just talking to her now.

_There's no easy way to ask, _he mused mentally before deciding to just come right out and say it. "Who are you?"

The smile dimmed slightly and the surprise in the girl's eyes was apparent. She broke eye contact and looked down at her hands, seemingly disappointed. Her reaction caught Squall off guard. Had she been expecting recognition? She knew him, she knew his name, but he had never seen her before that day in the infirmary, before having woken up with the scar etched into his face from the training bout with Seifer. Still, he felt terrible at causing this reaction, even though the question had to have been asked. He wouldn't play a façade to spare her feelings, no matter how cruel it seemed. He needed answers and the only way to get them was to ask for them.

After what felt like a very long and awkward pass of time, the quiet girl spoke, shattering the silence that had fallen between them like stagnant air. "Try to remember," she said simply, almost cryptically.

"Remember?" Squall echoed, unsure of what she meant. "So I know you from somewhere?"

The girl nodded once after a moment's hesitance. "It'd be heartbreaking to know that you were forgotten, don't you think? I think it would devastate anyone to find that out. So please, try to remember." She forced out a smile, a smile that was still warm but seemed gentle, almost fragile in contrast.

"Squall?"

Startled, Squall turned around to find Rinoa heading into the area, a confused expression gracing her features as she looked between him and the girl on the bench. "You were right about the selection in this place, it _does _kinda suck. I was just talking to Alicia from the committee and she recommended a really good read, but I wanted to see what you had to say about it." Rinoa sopped to stand right next to him, almost uncomfortably close. He had to resist the urge to step back to give himself some breathing space, but then her attention was no longer directed to him. "I'm Rinoa," she said in offer to the girl. "What's your name?"

The strange girl looked completely caught off guard by Rinoa's sudden appearance and her seemingly forced jovial greeting. Looking between the two, Squall suddenly got the feeling that there was more to what was going on than what he could understand. Suddenly worried for this poor girl's safety, Squall thought it would be better if he separated them. The thought did nothing to impress him, knowing that this had been his only chance to talk to her, but somehow he got the impression that Rinoa wouldn't understand if he tried to explain it to her. "Rinoa," he said in an attempt to direct her attention. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," Rinoa chirped almost cheerfully. "See you later," she said almost haphazardly to the girl as the raven-haired girl turned her back and started for the exit.

Before Squall could follow after her though, he felt someone grab him by the arm and he turned around as a result. Forcing himself not to fling the girl from him in what would have been an instinctual act, he provided the strange girl his full attention as she said, smiling lightly, "If you ever do remember me, I'll be right here. It'd be nice to talk about old times."

She looked up suddenly and winced slightly before saying rather quickly, "I think she's waiting for you."

Squall looked over to find that she was right. Rinoa was leaning against the book shelves in an attempt to look nonchalant. Instead she came across as impatient. Sighing heavily, Squall redirected his gaze to the girl and could only offer an embarrassed shrug. "Sorry about this."

To his surprise, the girl shook her head and laughed lightly. "Don't be. I think it's cute actually. Though you might want to hurry before she decides to claw my eyes out."

She offered him a reassuring smile before she returned to her books. Seeing the dismissal for what it was, Squall made his way towards Rinoa and passed her by without a glance, the girl taking a hint and following after him as they left the library. He could feel the eyes of the people inside watching them as they left and suddenly he realized they had all been witnessed to the exchange. Feeling more irritated now than ever, he stopped the girl once they were safely outside the library, determined to get some answers. "What was that?"

"…What was _what_?" Rinoa asked almost cautiously. She tried to look innocent, though he could see in her eyes she knew she'd been caught.

"You know what I'm talking about."

Frowningly slightly, Rinoa made the motion of thinking back to what she could have possibly done. All the sight did was make Squall angrier. It didn't help matters when all she did was shrug. "You've lost me somewhere. What did I do?"

_Really_? Squall tried to force back the well of annoyance and anger at what this selfish girl had just done, but it was a hard struggle. And just when he was starting to think that the experiences of the last month had finally caused her to grow up. Somehow, he should have known it wasn't so easy, but he had allowed himself to believe.

No longer impressed, but rather disgusted by her behaviour, he spotted all of her tells as she tried to tell him with a straight face that she didn't know what he was talking about. She was upset about something and whatever the cause she'd taken it out on this girl who didn't deserve the attitude. Worse was that, while she said she would be back there was no guarantee that they would cross paths again. The Garden wasn't huge, but it wasn't a small place either.

He didn't know why he was getting all bent out of shape at Rinoa's attitude, particularly when she had acted far worse when they were in Timber and he'd barely managed to keep his temper in check until the end. Somehow, the knowledge that Rinoa had treated this one girl so poorly had him practically frothing at the mouth, but he couldn't help himself. He acted coldly, but even he had seen she hadn't deserved the treatment.

The strange girl might not have cared, but he sure as hell did. Why he did was no longer consequential.

"Fine," he said coldly. "I understand. Let's just get this tour over with so I can submit my report. Maybe the rest of the day won't be a complete waste."

He started off down the corridor and back out into the hall. The rapid steps behind told him that Rinoa was trying to catch up but he purposely kept up his stride making it that much harder. Hopefully if she was concentrating on keeping up, she would keep her damn mouth shut for the duration of this stupid game she was trying to play. Why had he even allowed her to talk him into this in the first place?"

Unfortunately, he could only be so lucky as the girl persisted to speak even through quick intakes of breath. "What the hell is your problem?"

Squall didn't offer her a response. He wasn't about to feed her little ego trip and if she was going to revert back into her spoiled brat attitude, then that was just fine by him. He couldn't help the disappointment from surging through him but he could force it back down again, not knowing where it had come from in the first place.

As they turned the corner and he continued to ignore the raven-haired girl's protests, Squall was forced to stop abruptly as one of the Garden Faculty spotted him from the top of the stairs and started to descend them, making his way towards the pair.

_Oh hell, what is it _this _time? _He mentally snapped without meaning to. Rinoa moved into his line a vision, a look of worry stretching her features. Despite how annoyed he was, he couldn't help but agree since the last time he had even spoken to one of these hooded figures, it had been during the in-house fighting.

As the man made his way closer still, Squall wondered if perhaps the only reason he was being sought out was because he might know something of importance. Like, hopefully, the location of whoever they were looking for. But those hopes were dashed when the man stopped in front of him and started to speak. "Ident 41269, Squall Leonhart."

Squall nodded in exasperation, despite his gut tumbling down into his stomach. Rinoa was looking between the two, but Squall forced himself not to look at her despite the growing concern that seemed to emanate from her very being. The Garden Faculty was oblivious to this sight because he busied himself with retrieving his communications device and held it against his ear. "Stop the search, I've found him at last."

"What's this about?" Squall asked impatiently. The last thing he needed was to deal with this people, but he knew well enough to hold his tongue of the things he very well could have said. He had told these people that he had sided with Norg, if only to gain an understanding of what was going on, though now he was stuck having to play the part. Rinoa, for her part, knew enough to keep her mouth shut, though her eyes betrayed her fear at knowing that he was the one they were looking for.

"The Garden Master wishes to speak with you."

When the Garden Faculty didn't elaborate, Squall's frown deepened. "What? Right _now_?"

"Of _course _right now! I wouldn't have been searching for you this whole time if he didn't wish to see you immediately."

"Fine, whatever," Squall waved off, no longer having the energy to argue. "Where's the Garden Master?"

The Garden Faculty appeared smug, like he thought he was the one in control, and Squall allowed him the notion. He had never met the Garden Master before, and had been curious about the man who had tried to take the Garden away from the Headmaster, about what his goals in doing so were. He had yet to get any answers to the questions that ran rampant throughout his mind, and he was as big a mystery as the girl from the infirmary was.

From the looks of it, the man was cautious, almost in a paranoid sense of the word. Somehow Squall got the notion that no one outside of the Headmaster or the Garden Faculty had ever seen him before. He decided that if he were to gain an audience with the Garden Master, he might start getting some real answers to these questions. He might start to finally understand just what the hell was going on.

"The Master's room is downstairs," the Faculty responded.

Squall paused, realizing that he had never been to the basement of the Garden before and wondered if Norg had the same locking mechanism that would shut out unwanted visitors to the basement that the Headmaster possessed for the third floor. It made sense that he would. The Faculty gave Squall no mind of his thoughts and proceeded to give his instructions. "Just take the elevator to the B1 Level. You're expected already, so the locking mechanism has been removed for the meantime. Don't make him wait any longer than you already have."

And then the Garden Faculty was passing him by abruptly ending the conversation.

Squall sighed heavily as he turned to regard Rinoa. "The tours over, I guess." With an almost relieved shrug, the SeeD began to ascend the steps that would take him to the elevator.

Only he heard someone race alongside the steps and as he reached the very center of them, he looked up to find Rinoa baring his path. "You're not going to see him by yourself, are you?"

"What choice do I have?" Squall asked irritably. "He asked for me personally and the longer I keep him waiting, the more suspicious he'll get."

"And what if he's calling you because he already knows you're not on his side?" Rinoa protested. "We're talking about the same guy who pit students against Garden in a power struggle that they had no business participating in. This is the same guy who had people release the monsters from the Training Centre to attack all sides. He's the same guy who ordered the Headmaster to be killed if they had to!"

"I'm well aware of this," Squall responded flatly.

Rinoa pushed forward anyway, almost talking over him in her haste to get her point across. "So what makes you think he won't have you killed the moment you step out of the elevator?"

Squall's thoughts were brought back to his trek to the MD level with Zell and the Headmaster, of how the elevator they had ridden got stuck. Of how the elevator started up again only _after _they had begun to climb the rest of the way to the desired location, and how it almost crushed them in the process.

Norg wouldn't need to wait for him to emerge from the elevator to kill him. If Norg wanted him dead, all he had to do was unleash the controls of the elevator and cause him to crash the distances from the first floor to the basement. It'd be viewed as an unfortunate and tragic accident.

Of course he was concerned for his safety but if he stood the Garden Master up and Norg believed him to be on his side unconditionally, then the action in itself would draw up alarms. He could use that as an excuse to start the whole conflict up again, to accuse Cid of sending one of his supporters under cover to ghost control of the Garden away. "What makes you think I don't already know this?"

"Then why are you being stupid and going to see a guy who is probably only calling you down to kill you?"

"I'll deal with it when it happens," Squall said, despite knowing that his gunblade was still locked up in his dorm, as were his junctions. But he wasn't completely defenseless. He could still cast magic and he would form a plan if he needed to defend himself.

"Fine," Rinoa said hotly before making her way towards the elevator and pressing the button with an arrow facing down. "Then I'm going with you."

"What?" the word was spoken flatly, in completely monotone as it betrayed the SeeDs shock of her declaration.

"Oh, you heard me," Rinoa waved off. "You said you haven't submitted your report yet. If he really wants to talk to you instead of killing you, it sounds to me like that report will probably be the subject. And since I _was _there, I can add testimony to the things you weren't there for. He gets the _full _story instead of half of it."

Squall wondered if this sounded like a terrible idea only to him and mentally berated himself for doubting his logic. Of _course _this was a bad idea. This idea was the brainchild of a girl who crouched down in the corner of a train car and hatched out strategy in a matter of minutes with co-conspirators. Granted, she could come up with some decent ideas, but most of the time superglue wouldn't do much to keep them from falling apart.

So he fixed her with a look as he waited for her to regain her senses. For her part, Rinoa fixed him a look as well, one filled with stubbornness that seemed to dare him to try and stop her. Eventually, he broke the standstill, sighing loudly. "You're a civilian…"

"_They _don't know that," Rinoa said triumphantly. "And besides, do I _look _like one to you?"

Squall rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to shake some sense into the girl, instead adopting a tone of patience he hadn't known he'd possessed. "Rinoa, we're talking about the Garden Master. He can probably tell just by looking who is a SeeD and who is a student. First off, your uniform is a students, so he won't buy that you're a field member. And even if he _someone _manages to avoid that blaringly obvious difference, he would know right off the bat that you're neither one."

"We'll just have to bank on his stupidity, that's all," Rinoa replied stubbornly. Beside her, the elevator _pinged, _a signal that it arrived onto the first floor before the doors spread apart, baring them entrance. "Either way, I'm not letting you go down there by yourself so you can get yourself killed. And there's no one else around that you could drag along with you, so let's just stop making the annoying guy wait and _go _already!"

She stormed into the elevator and fixed him with an expectant look as Squall shook his head wearily. Rinoa just didn't know when or how to choose her battles, treating each and every one as a matter of life and death. Granted, he was a little touched that she was concerned for his wellbeing, but it was irritating when she dug her heels in and wouldn't take no for an answer. Squall just couldn't help but hope that he wasn't making a big mistake in letting her have her way _again_. "Alright, fine."

Squall joined her inside the elevator and didn't miss the beaming look she threw his way. He pressed the button to send the elevator door, the doors sliding close as he spoke. "But if I tell you to get out of there, you go without question _or _argument. Got it?"

"Yessir," Rinoa said as she raised her arm and made a barely passable SeeD salute in response.

Rolling his eyes, Squall allowed himself to lean against the wall with his arms folded, but just before the doors could slide shut all the way, they heard a loud shout from beyond. "Hold the elevator!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Rinoa almost automatically pressed and held down a button. Cursing her as he realized whoever it was was about to take a trip they weren't bargaining on, he threw a glare in her direction. Just as she realized her mistake and released the button, Zell suddenly skidded passed the doors and almost collided with the back end of the elevator. The door shut and, seconds later, they were descending.

"Oh shit," Zell groaned. "I thought this thing was going _up!_" He paused suddenly as he approached the glass door, the floor disappearing from view in favour of the dull gray that was its foundation. "Actually, I didn't even realize this place _had _a basement… at least until the MD level anyway…"

He turned around and it was only then that Squall realized Zell had no clue who he'd entered the elevator with until the look of surprise came over the brawler. "Squall? What're you doin' heading _downstairs_? The Headmaster's on the third floor."

Still irritable from the exchange in the library and again with the Garden Faculty, Squall refused to answer. Rinoa didn't have such reservations though and seemingly decided to answer for him. "Garden Master."

Zell turned to regard her and almost did a double take, apparently not having recognized the raven-haired girl in the uniform. Rinoa pushed on in her explanation regardless as she offered the brawler a wave. "Called for Squall personally."

"Wait…" Zell said. "I know you pretended to be on his side, but we're talking about the same guy who…"

"Yes," Squall cut in flatly. "I already got the lecture from Rinoa."

"He was just gonna go in by himself," Rinoa added. Squall rolled his eyes in irritation. "Obviously a bad idea."

"Dude, that's just dumb, you realize—"

"Just shut up." Squall suddenly snapped, having had enough with this conversation.

At first Zell looked surprised at the sudden interruption, but then his expression shifted, betraying the hurt his words had caused. "Hey man," Zell replied heatedly. "What the hell crawled up your ass and died this morning?"

"He's been like this for the last few minutes now," Rinoa replied with an innocent shrug. The action caused Squall to scowl even more. "I think I mighta woke him up from his two-day nap."

"Yeah, I'd be kinda pissed too…" Zell said, seemingly excusing the irritation of the other SeeD. He whistled awkwardly as Squall's frown deepened, though the Squad leader knew full well that the explanation given was most definitely _not_ the reason for his foul mood.

It wasn't too much longer when they finally reached the bottom and the doors swung open to allow its inhabitants leave to exit. Mentally relieved that Norg didn't appear to want them dead (yet), Squall was the first to emerge, brushing past the brawler and the raven-haired girl as he strove to put some distance between them. He almost stumbled down the final step for his efforts, though he managed to regain his balance at the last second. A brief look behind told him no one had actually noticed.

He made to find the Garden Master when he suddenly realized he had no idea where to go. The space afforded him was wide and open, a large curved space that gave no hint to where they were supposed to go. Squall was just about ready to just pick a direction and deal with the consequences when he heard a familiar voice a fair distance away. Rinoa and Zell were just descending from the steps behind him and seemed to have heard the sound as well.

"You miserable _bastard_!" The voice sounded, putting everything into the words spouted. Squall recognized the speaker almost instantly, but couldn't believe that these words were coming from the mouth of someone so normally controlled, polite and composed. "Why don't you stop thinking about yourself and _listen_ for a god-damned minute!"

"That's not who I _think _it is, is it?" Zell asked Rinoa, who shrugged in response.

Almost as though to answer the brawler, the voice continued indignantly around sounds of a scuffle. "What are you doing? Let go of me! I'm _not _finished yet!"

And suddenly Headmaster Kramer was shoved into view from around the corner directly in front of them. Surprisingly, two Garden Faculty pursued him from that very direction, their body language telling that they were looking to start a fight. As soon as the Headmaster pulled himself up onto his feet, he started back the way he had come, only to be intercepted by the hooded and robed figures, and was thus forced to shout out over their shoulders to his intended target. "You greedy sonovabitch!"

Rinoa clasped her hands over her mouth in a gasp and Zell's jaw hung open in his shock. Squall knew it wasn't so much at the words but at who had actually spoken them, because he couldn't help but feel stupefied to see the elder man speak in such a way. He had never seen the man lose his temper, and witnessing him use language that Seifer toted on a regular basis could only mean something had riled him up so far. It felt _wrong _to be witnessing this and suddenly Squall wished he had delayed the trip at least a few minutes, if only to offer the man some privacy.

"All you care about is _money_!" Headmaster Kramer continued to shout angrily. He continued to push past the robed figures but seemed to be getting no leeway. "I _knew _this and _still _I tried talking some sense into you! I must've been an _imbecile _to think that you'd actually _care_! You don't understand a _god-damned thing!_"

Behind him, Zell lipped the word 'yikes' to both of them as Squall and Rinoa exchanged uneasy looks between one another, their feud all but forgotten in wake of their current position. Squall returned his gaze to the Headmaster once more, wanting to step in but knowing he would only do more harm than good if he did.

"SeeD was created for the _future_!" The Headmaster was shouting, his voice so loud the SeeD could tell it had long since gone hoarse from the effort. "And that future is _now!_ Why can't you see it? I'll tell you why! It's because you're blinded by _greed _and _money!_"

Throughout the elder man's tirade, it seemed he was finally starting to garner some leeway and almost managed to push past the two men holding him at bay. But the moment he tried to march back the way he had come, the two men grabbed a hold of the Headmaster's arm and threw him back with a strength no one had thought they possessed. Rinoa went to run to his side, but Squall grabbed her arm and stopped her, silently relaying to her that it would do nothing to help the situation despite the horrified look she threw his way. Zell tried to guide her back behind the Squad leader, seemingly having drawn up the same conclusion, that getting involved would do nothing except potentially get the Headmaster killed.

The Garden Faculty exchanged looks between themselves at the downed Headmaster's expense before returning to their posts around the corner, no longer worried that the elder man would provide any trouble. Unfortunately they were right, because Headmaster Kramer had fallen hard along the ground and was finding it difficult to regain balance enough to stand. But he still found the energy to continue yelling after the retreating men at the top of his voice as they disappeared from view. "I _wish _I'd never met you! I wish I'd never agreed to take your blasted money! Then, maybe this place'd never have been built! I wish to Hyne that I could go back in time and tell myself not to deal with you, because you're _nothing _but a money grubbing sonova_bitch!_"

It was at this point that Squall had finally had enough. He surged forward with a speed he didn't know he possessed and helped the Headmaster up onto his feet, to at least provide him with some shred of his dignity. Zell and Rinoa followed Squall's lead, but by them the Headmaster was already standing and after looking up to thank his helper, he blanched as he recognized them. "Squall? What're you doing down here?"

His shock soon gave way to embarrassment and he fixed the glasses atop the bridge of his nose awkwardly, his gaze downcast as he spoke quietly, almost _too _quietly to be heard. "You heard everything, didn't you?"

Squall was hesitant in his answer, because he saw how ashamed the elder man looked at his behaviour. He didn't want to remove that last shred of dignity he held left, because the elder man seemed to try so hard to remain composed to his students and his SeeDs. Fortunately, the task to answer the question didn't fall upon him, because Zell took mercy on the SeeD and his inward struggle and answered it instead. "We _all _did."

Looking in the direction, the Headmaster's features coloured even still as he took in both Zell and Rinoa's presence. His gaze returned downcast before he regarded Squall once again. "I'm sorry you had to hear that. That you _all _had to. Even old men like me tend to lose their tempers. Granted, it doesn't happen often, but I prefer for it to happen behind closed doors."

"But it's not healthy to keep it all in," Rinoa protested.

"That is too true, Ms. Heartilly," Headmaster Kramer agreed candidly. It seemed as though the elder man was trying to put on a calm front, but there were just too many cracks to conceal the damage. "Why don't we just get out of here? There's not much else to see down here, anyway."

Before Squall could explain what they were doing there, and why they couldn't just leave, the Headmaster started to walk towards the elevator. He didn't like how the Headmaster was holding himself, how utterly _defeated _he seemed, and he couldn't help but wonder if the Garden Master had had anything to do with it. But when he thought of the reason he was down here in the first place, he recalled something very important. "Sir!"

Headmaster Kramer suddenly stopped when he reached the top of the stairs before turning around slowly. The distance kept the youth from being able to decipher the expression in the elder man's features, a troubling thought that Squall did not like. Still, he pressed on as the Headmaster simply waited for him to say his piece. "About my report…"

"Come to my office later," the Headmaster said, cutting the young man off. Squall started to wonder what really had happened back there, but he knew he didn't like it. "I'll debrief you then."

And before anything else could be said, Headmaster Kramer had already entered the elevator and seconds later it rose up to the floors above.

* * *

_First and foremost, it strikes me that it would have taken plenty of time for the Garden to get back under control. Just because all Squall did was help with the monsters doesn't mean there wasn't other business to attend to. I also think that Cid would have made numerous attempts to speak to Norg, specifically on the Sorceress issue, but Norg wasn't having any of it. Since they normally have meetings via comlink from office to office (or at least, that's how I've always viewed it) and Norg was probably purposely ignoring those attempts at contacting him in favour of making some kind of contingency plan, it makes sense that Cid would storm down to talk to him personally. It also kind of explains why Cid was so busy the last couple of days and thus couldn't recieve Zell's report._

_And please do not shoot me for having Rinoa present at the time Squall tries to speak to Ellone. I just needed an excuse for the conversation to break off and Rinoa being jealous seemed to fit in well. Plus her presence will make things easier in the long run (specifically disk 3)._

_And I think that's it for the changes. I hope you guys like it, but again I'm not a mindreader so I won't know if you don't tell me._

* * *

**01/31/2012 - **_I added a bit of foreshadowing with Squall's ring and how it will come into effect later in the story. I also added more description and detail that makes the scenes flow a little better._


	27. Chapter XXV: Fall of the Master

**Chapter XXV:**  
**Fall of the Master**

* * *

He watched the elder man leave with a mixture of feelings ranging from bad to terrible. He'd always seen Headmaster Kramer as a strong charismatic figurehead who never lost his cool in the thick of things. He'd never seen the man look so defeat and, for a lack of a better word, _old_ before and it was unnerving to say the least. The man had to be somewhere in his sixties, but until now he hadn't looked it. It looked like the light had flickered out in the last few minutes, after having raged on in a temper unseen by anyone, leaving all those behind basked in the darkness.

He didn't know why, but Zell was starting to feel like he'd bitten off more than he could chew.

Once awake he'd started his day by jogging around the Training Centre. Normally he would have had his run out in the hall, but even he could sense the tension between the two factions and had decided it'd be better just to steer clear of everyone. One tossed stone seemed to be enough of a trigger to escalate things all over again and, with them sailing over the ocean, Zell didn't want to be stuck in the middle again. Once was bad enough.

He'd stopped off to get some lunch a few hours later, but the cafeteria had once again failed him and run out of hotdogs. It got him wondering how the Garden would manage to sustain all the people who were inside if they had no access to food replenishment and the thought had soured his mood to the point where he'd lost his appetite altogether. To take his mind off of things, he figured he might as well submit his report after the hundredth time of doing so already and had almost missed the elevator altogether. Hopping on, he'd assumed the people inside were headed to the second floor, but it had been an error he was starting to vehemently regret.

And now here they stood in the basement of the Garden, watching as the elevator rose back up and out of sight into the towering ceiling above.

"Oh no!" Rinoa exclaimed beside him so suddenly that he jumped about a foot in the air. Even Squall's attention was drawn to her. "We didn't tell Cid that the doctor was looking for him!"

"What's Dr. Kadowaki want with him?" Zell asked, wondering if something serious had happened to him, something that no one knew about.

Rinoa was quick to answer. "She said he's been working too hard and asked us to see if we saw him. Obviously _that _didn't go very well…"

_So pretty much the normal then, _Zell mused to himself. Every now and again students reported seeing the Garden doctor search around for the Headmaster. Once he had even witnessed the elder woman chastising the elder man about eating habits and taking care of himself every now and again. Again he was reminded of how old the Headmaster really was, and wondered if all this stress of running the Garden was good for him. Especially when Norg was thrown into the equation.

"We could go after him," Zell supplied helpfully as he indicated the elevator behind. The Headmaster had seemed almost adamant for everyone to leave this place and the brawler couldn't help but agree. There was something about this basement level that didn't sit right with him and the sooner they all left, the happier he'd be.

"Too late," Squall remarked pointedly. Zell and Rinoa turned to regard him but spotted what he had seen. One of the Garden Faculty had re-emerged from around the corner and was making his way towards them. The robed figure's pace was so quick they figured he'd either ran pass them or _through _them but then he stopped almost abruptly in front of them, like this happened all the time.

Zell knew for a fact that it did and swore the assholes did this to lull their targets into a false sense of security.

"You are the team that returned from Galbadia?" The Garden Faculty asked rather pointedly.

Zell first looked to Rinoa and then to Squall, wondering if they should be honest and answer or if they should lie and try to sneak out. Judging by the look on Rinoa's face, she very much wanted to do the latter, but Squall gave neither of them a choice. "We are."

"It's about time," the Garden Faculty snapped rather cruelly, like he was lecturing a bunch of school children. Seeing how SeeDs and students were usually lumped into the same category (minus the obvious perks mind you), the description was rather accurate. Zell still scowled in response though. "You're late."

"But we only _just _got down here," Rinoa argued heatedly, not taking kindly to the tone either.

"You should know by now," the Garden Faculty snapped back in an exasperated and irritated tone of voice, "that when the Garden Master summons you, you have _precisely _three seconds to show. It has not changed in the past, nor will it."

"But that's _impossible_!" Rinoa exclaimed in outrage. She went to say more, but a look pointed at her from Squall caused her to shut her mouth with a _snap_. Zell arched an eyebrow but figured out rather quickly they were supposed to be playing along. His thoughts went back to when they'd first returned to the Garden, how Squall had made the Garden Faculty believe they had allied themselves with Norg and how they had been able to bypass the front gate without so much as a scratch.

More importantly, they'd learned a few things about the Garden Master they wouldn't have otherwise known.

_So maybe this' why Squall came down here,_ Zell mused. _We don't actually know much else about Norg or what the hell's going on, so maybe coming down here will get us more information than what we have._

_Sure, _a voice in the back of his mind said, _that's _if _you don't get yourselves killed in the process._

Zell gulped lightly, turned to see if the Garden Faculty had noticed and sighed in relief when he realized he was still safe. Seemingly sulking, Rinoa returned Squall's glare with one of her own before huffing a sigh and folding her arms across her chest, clearly indicating that she was unimpressed as she fell into a scathing silence. Squall continued to glare at her but after a moment returned his attention to the Garden Faculty. Still, Zell could make out the Squad leader throwing a look out of the corner of his eye in Rinoa's direction, almost as though he were silently reprimanding her behaviour.

"Sorry," Squall forced out suddenly. "It won't happen again."

"For _your_ sake, I'd hope not," the Garden Faculty sniffed someone importantly before turning around and leading the way. The trio followed after him. "If it wasn't for the matter of your debriefing, the Garden Master would be _assuring _that the mistake would not repeat itself rather permanently."

Zell gulped again, knowing a threat when he heard one, but managed to keep quiet.

It turned out that they didn't have very far to walk. They turned the corner the Garden Faculty had originally come from and the first thing everyone noticed was a huge pod-like device set up near the centre of the room. While the ceiling was immensely high enough to cast shadows across the very top of the chamber despite the lights that shown from the floor, the pod made the room look all the smaller, taking up much of the space. Because of the curvature of the space, there was no place to hide at all, except back the way they had come. A look behind made the brawler realize even that had been cut off once they'd entered the area. The Garden Faculty had stepped into the path and showed no signs of retreating any time soon.

But if there were no place to hide, where was the Garden Master?

Zell searched around but he didn't see anyone else in the room aside from Squall or Rinoa. But the room was filled with the Garden Faculty, so many that Zell hadn't realized just how many there were in the Garden. It also explained why he'd had yet to see one in the halls after the Garden had taken off from Balamb. Each of them lined the walls, and the one who led them there gestured that they were to move to the centre of the room, putting them right across from the strange pod. When they were in place, the Garden Faculty spoke, his attention fixed on the pod itself. "They're here at long last," he said.

Zell spotted Rinoa taking in stock of the room as they walked, but she started when a loud mechanical _whirl _sounded throughout the room, echoing off the walls and blasting back at them in a thunderous volume. Everyone was forced to cover their ears from the onslaught, but as he removed his hands Zell also heard another unintelligible sound. It sounded like someone was trying to speak through immensely thick lips and couldn't form the words properly, producing gibberish. But then, there was another noise that came from the left of them that started shortly after the gibberish did:

"Your-three-seconds-expired-ten-minutes-ago!"

The voice that spoke was definitely not real. It was more like a synthesized mechanical one that people used in voice boxes or to alter the sound of their own to keep from being detected. The synthetic voice had come from a box that one of the Garden Faculty was holding and Zell realized that it was some kind of translator, relating to their ears what the speaker was saying. It wasn't so much the speaker couldn't speak as it was the speaker was talking in a different language, and it was definitely one Zell had never heard before.

More unintelligible garbles came from somewhere behind the pod and then three of the top most sections of the device split away, the two on either side falling away while the third simply flipped up and behind, revealing the person who was seated inside.

Zell hadn't known what to expect, but the sight of the Garden Master himself was most definitely _not _it. The man was not human, or at least he couldn't be. Not when he was at least three times the size of a normal person with green rubbery looking skin that sat in folds around his neck and, probably, lumped over itself beneath the fancy looking robe he wore. His blobby cheeks dropped all the way to chest level, his fingers were the size of lead pipes and his eyes were surrounded by so much fat it reduced his dark, almost black, eyes into beady slits.

The brawler wouldn't have been surprised if the man was able to hold them all down with just one hand, and whether it was an exaggeration or not made no difference. This guy was utterly _terrifying_, not so much intimidating in the kind of way that would cause injury but in a way that forced him to ask himself 'how can someone do this to themselves and live'?

He couldn't help but take in the looks of the other two. Rinoa was trembling like a leaf, even as she tried to force herself to stand perfectly still. Squall, though much more composed than the pair of them, was still pale in the face as he took in the sight of this monstrous person. After meeting Garden Master Martine in Galbadia Garden, he had most definitely not expected this.

"Give-your-report-on-the-Galbadia-mission!" The voice box translated for the Garden Master.

A feeling of dread came over him at the order and Zell felt his stomach drop into his shoes at the thought. Recalling the disastrous mission, the brawler didn't want to know what the Garden Master would do once he'd learned they failed. But the big guy probably already knew, what with the Sorceress' retaliation, and was probably wanting to know what exactly went wrong. Zell knew as much as anyone that they were all at fault, from Irvine's hesitation to take the shot in the first place, to the decision that led to the Gateway team almost missing their chance to shut in the Sorceress and including Rinoa's involvement in the whole mess. No one was innocent, no one was blameless in the grand scheme of things and there was no way for them to even run away from having to face the music that was their failure since the Garden Faculty cut off any escape route they could have taken. They were stuck.

Squall didn't respond right away, more than likely thinking along the same lines as the brawler, though somehow Zell got the idea the Squad leader wasn't measuring escape routes, but choosing his words carefully. "Answer him quickly," the nearest Garden Faculty said, drawing their attention from behind. "And be concise. Master Norg has other matters to attend to."

_I'll just bet…_ Zell thought bitterly, thinking that he might just have an idea what sort of 'business' the Garden Master had in mind. The brawler wouldn't put it past the big guy to start the Garden conflict up again, even if there was the loaming threat of a Sorceress in the background. Based on his actions alone, Norg came across as kinda greedy.

Still, Squall nodded grimly in response to the proffered advice before dropping into an attentive stance that Zell and Rinoa mimicked. At first, Zell was alarmed that Rinoa would be caught as an imposter simply by how off her stance actually was but no one appeared to notice. Still he held his breath in the off chance they might have to defend her. If Squall had noticed, he wasn't letting on and seemed to want to get this whole thing over with. "We failed to assassinate Sorceress Edea during the parade in Deling City."

The expression in the Garden Master's face darkened at the news, but there was no shock or surprise, a sight that lent strength to Zell's assumption. He knew alright, and he was less than pleased with the outcome. Still, Squall continued as Norg remained silent. "Confirmation of the order was made at Galbadia Garden, and once Irvine Kinneas of Galbadia Garden joined up with our party, we set off to rendezvous with the Galbadian General, where we were briefed on the terms of the 'Sorceress' Assassination' order from Balamb and Galbadia Gardens-"

A loud and jarring roar cut the SeeD off from his report, startling the trio and causing both Zell and Rinoa to flinch at the sudden noise. Thinking that they at least didn't need the translator to understand the gesture, he gulped in alarm and wondered what Squall had said to set him off. Squall seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because he took a tentative and hesitant step back while Rinoa practically leapt behind the Squad leader, intent on using him as a shield. For his part, Zell was too scared to move, fearing that if he so much as shifted funny, the Garden Master would eat him alive.

Amidst the roar were the intelligible gargling that the Garden Master made and the translator picked up each and every word that was spoken, relaying its meaning to them in its dull mechanical drone: "Galbadia-_and_-Balamb's-orders?"

Despite this dull and mechanical drone, however, the words itself were filled with the Garden Master's indignation, and translated his emotions well enough. "Idiots! Incompetent-Ignoramuses! You-were-fooled!"

"Huh?" Zell exclaimed before he could stop himself as he looked between his two comrades. Both appeared as confused as he was.

"I don't understand," Squall said, confirming the assumption.

Unfortunately, their responses had the result of pissing off the big guy even more. "Don't-understand? You-moron!"

Squall seemed less than impressed at the insult, but made no move to say anything in his defence. Even if he'd wanted to, Zell doubted he'd have had the chance because the Garden Master started to garble again, this time directing his words to the Garden Faculty as the box translated: "Explain-to-them-simply-so-they-_do_-understand!"

"Yes sir," one of the Garden Faculty responded curtly before stepping forward and regarding the ground with a look that seemed almost withering in its sympathy. "Master Norg has known all along about the Sorceress' alliance with Galbadia and her rise to power, long before President Deling made it known through the live broadcast in Timber. We learned of the news from the Garden Master in Galbadia, a spineless worm named Joseph Martine. Martine came across this information through his connections with the Galbadian military.

"Between her alliance with Vinzer Deling and the Gardens themselves, the Sorceress was in a great standing for power," the Garden Faculty continued. "In fact, it was believed she would attempt to gain _all _of the Gardens under her control."

This didn't make any sense to him and, judging by the looks on their faces, it didn't make much sense to Rinoa or Squall either. If the Sorceress was so closely affiliated with the Gardens, (and how the hell couldn't they have known that in the first place?) then why did she have Seifer launch missiles at two of them? Zell raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, caught himself and lowered the arm slowly, still afraid to draw unwanted attention in his direction.

"_Obviously _Master Norg didn't wish for this to happen," the Garden Faculty pressed on, "so he contacted Martine with a plan of action. He would join forces with General Caraway and send a team of his people to do away with her. Since Galbadia Garden is so closely affiliated with the Galbadian republic, it would be viewed as an internal conflict. Garden would be blameless, and SeeD would carry on as originally intended. It was decided that, for the sake of everything, this was to be the best means."

"But!" Norg interrupted. "That-sly-weasel-Martine-must-have-seen-you-as-a-means-to-an-end! He-used-you-as-a-last-resort-for-the-assassination-to-place-the-blame-on-me! That-that-_bastard_!"

Norg was shaking in anger by now and Zell would not have been surprised if he'd simply lashed out and flung the three of them against the wall from the fit. The brawler just hoped it wouldn't end in that. The Garden Faculty cleared his throat in preparation to continue his explanation, but Rinoa interrupted him suddenly. "Wait… so… are you saying that Balamb had _nothing _to do with that order?"

"Balamb was supposed to be seen as uninvolved," the Garden Faculty answered curtly. "Of course we gave the initial order, but it would have all been Galbadia Garden's operatives. We had already destroyed the communications transmission report that even indicated Balamb Garden's hand in the attack. It was a case of your team being there at the wrong place at the wrong time. Martine used you to remain blameless in the end."

As the Garden Faculty answered this question, Zell's gaze was, much like Rinoa's, trained on Squall, who looked considerably paler than he had a moment ago. The brawler felt sick to his stomach with this news, knowing that they were never supposed to have been involved in the attack, that everything they had done since accepting the mission at Galbadia Garden had been unnecessary.

That Squall had almost _died _for a cause that wasn't even supposed to be theirs in the first place.

But the Garden Faculty seemed completely oblivious to their mounting distress. "But, as you've said, you failed to assassinate Sorceress Edea, and the consequences for that error were blistering. We almost lost this Garden and, so far, no contact has been made with Trabia Garden since their systems went dark. Galbadia Garden has no fear of attack, since the Sorceress plans to utilize it as her base. Regardless of his attempts to save face, Martine will be ousted for his efforts in the attempt. She probably knows who was responsible for the attempt on her life, which is why she ordered the missile strike to get even with us."

_She woulda done it anyway,_ Zell mused as he continued to keep his focus trained on Squall, who had become fallen silent in his shock. He had already learned from Squall during their journey from the prison about the Sorceress' questions regarding SeeD and their objective. She viewed the Garden's as a threat regardless of her connections with them and would've seen them burn even if things had fallen into place for Norg.

"But now that everything is said and done," the Garden Faculty announced, "something must be done to ease her temper. Now she knows for certain that Garden and SeeD mean to kill her, and if we don't do something, her next attack will destroy us all."

Zell didn't like the sounds of that, and his stomach seemed to agree, but Squall spoke up suddenly, his face paler than ever by this point. "Wait… you can't possibly mean…"

"We-do!" Norg interjected, the affirmation sounding horrifying in its foreboding.

"We had to show Balamb Garden's sincerity," the Garden Faculty added. "We had to prove that we were no threat to the Sorceress or her reign."

"Offer-SeeDs-head-on-a-silver-platter," Norg commented ominously. Even the mechanical box couldn't have made the words colder than they were. "The-ones-responsible-for-the-failed-mission-would-be-offered-up-as-a-sacrifice-to-the-Sorceress. They-would-die-for-the-greater-good-of-SeeD-and-Garden-while-we-pretend-to-bow-on-our-knees-in-reverence!"

Zell balked as the meaning of the words hit him hard as Rinoa gasped in both shock and horror. It wasn't so much the notion of being abandoned to the mission that hit him, he had known this the moment he'd decided to take the examination. A SeeD who failed their mission would be disavowed by the Garden and they would be forced to fend for themselves, dealing with whatever responsibility that awaited them for their failure. But it was an entirely different thing to _live _the experience than just read it on paper.

Their incarceration in D-District Prison for the last week. Their inevitable execution for crimes against the President. Garden had total deniability. They had been caught red-handed, and would be punished for their actions. Norg and the Garden had left them to rot, and they didn't even care, they didn't even bat an eye, simply acting like this sort of thing happened every day.

He looked to Rinoa, saw the disgust in her eyes as the notion sunk in. Garden wouldn't have saved her either, even if she was a client. She had made the choice to tag along on the operation and it had been that choice that had damned her as it had the rest of the team. Her father was the only reason she would have survived the whole ordeal, and she knew it, he could see it in her face that she did.

"Here's an idea," Squall suddenly spoke, his tone sharp and controlled. Having already caught onto Norg's scheme, the Squad leader had already overcome his shock and had already formulated a rebuttal. The Garden Faculty stared and exchanged glances amongst themselves, no doubt not having expected such a response. "Why aren't we _fighting _the Sorceress? Why are we _pretending _to be loyal to her? To save our hides, for what? We've been training every day of our lives, so why aren't we putting it to good use? What good is it to us if we're just going to cower when someone stronger just happens to show up?"

"What-did-you-say?" Norg snapped back, not even pausing to give Squall time to respond. "You-already-fought-against-the-Sorceress! What-good-did-that-do? You-failed! Quit-your-whining!"

"_I'm_ the one who's whining?" Squall shot back incredulously. Zell could tell the Squad leader was incensed by the Garden Master, could tell that he didn't care that the Garden Faculty was beginning to advance on them almost threateningly. He was indignant and Zell was in total agreement. He could even see Rinoa as she folded her arms across her chest and nodded her agreement. Still, he had never seen Squall this angry before, and he was more than happy that it wasn't directed towards him. "_I'm _stating a _fact_! And that fact is that no matter what happens, _I'm _prepared to fight. The whole damned _Garden_ is prepared to fight her as well, but _you're _the one cowering in the corner like some overgrown _child _who's afraid of some monster in his closet!

"Who _cares _if she's a Sorceress? She has magic on her side, but she's still just a person, a living being who is beatable. People have banded against Sorceresses in the past, many with far less knowledge of her power and weapons to fight her than we have at our arsenal! What the _hell _is stopping us from standing against her _now_?"

"Kramer was saying the exact same thing," one of the closest Garden Faculty muttered to his neighbour and Zell almost dropped his forehead into his hands at the declaration. They were blown. The cover that Squall had given them had just been destroyed with this utterance, no matter that it was the truth. The truth wouldn't save them from the number that would face them should they choose to attack them.

"_Cid_?" Norg sputtered in outrage. He threw up his gianormous hands into the air, the act adding emphasis as the voice box continued to translate. "That-idiot-_Kramer_-thinks-he-knows-what's-best-for-the-Garden-does-he? _He's_-the-moron-who-dispatched-SeeD-to-kill-the-Sorceress-in-the-first-place! Obviously-he-didn't-know-what-he-was-thinking! If-the-team-fails-it-_all_-ends! It-seems-he-has-forgotten-that-there-would-_be_-no-Garden-if-_I_-hadn't-put-up-the-funds-to-build-this-place!"

Norg growled loudly, bringing both arms down and slamming fisted hands against the side of the pod. "That-fool-almost-destroyed-us! In-return-for-his-stupidity-I-was-going-to-hand-_his_-head-to-the-Sorceress-along-_with_-the-SeeDs-responsible! But-what-happened?"

Norg was practically foaming at the mouth as he ranted and raved and Zell found himself no longer fearing this overgrown baby. Instead, his temper was flaring with every second he was forced to listen to this drivel, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He was about ready to punch something, and Norg's face was looking pretty tempting right about now.

"The-students-sided-with-_him_!" Norg almost sounded indignant at this exclamation. "Useless! Everyone-is-useless! An-outrage! By-all-rights-this-is-_my_-Garden! They-do-as-_I_-tell-them!"

"You're fucking delusional!" Zell shouted, knowing that he was adding fuel to the fire but not caring. So Norg would know they weren't allied with him, big fucking deal. He needed to bash some skulls in and if the Garden Faculty decided to stop him from leaving, he would be more than happy to vent his frustration on their hides.

Rinoa seemed to be in full agreement. "You might be the Garden Master, but the Garden is _not _just yours!"

"So-then-whose-is-it?" Norg practically sneered. "Cid-and-Edea's? That-pathetic-married-couple?"

And just like that the wind flew right out of his sails and he and Rinoa exchanged horrified expressions between one another. The Headmaster and the Sorceress were married? Since when? And when was anyone gonna tell _them _that?

"I-finally-understand!" Norg's translated garble rendered the pair unable to voice their surprise. "I-see-everything-clearly-now! You're-not-with-me-at-all! You-never-_have_-been! You-worms-follow-Kramer-don't-you? He-sent-you-to-spy-on-me! To-find-evidence-against-me! To-take-my-control-away-from-me!"

And almost as if those words had been an order, Zell felt himself being restrained by the hands of the Garden Faculty who stood behind him. He hadn't even heard them move much less descend upon them. He heard Rinoa struggle as he was forced into a kneeling position but he lifted his head defiantly, daring Norg to do their worst all the while cursing his predicament. Diablos and Leviathan were both sitting in a small box on his nightstand next to his bed, right where he'd left them when he'd finished his training and gone to lunch. He could've really used the additional support right about now, even if Diablos still scared the shit out of him every now and again.

But this knowledge didn't stop him from struggling against his capturers, as futile as it was against the vast number that had him pinned down with a foreboding feeling in the pit of his gut.

This feeling was confirmed when Norg spoke once more, a tone that brook finality. "Prepare-to-pay-for-Kramer's-incompetence-_with-your-very-lives!_"

* * *

As the elevator descended, it was all she could do to keep from pacing the length as she wondered why the contraption could feel so unbearably _slow_ at times. Instead, she tapped her foot atop the linoleum beneath her boot-clad feet, arms folded across her chest with the index finger of her right hand matching the action. It disturbed the otherwise anxious silence that had fallen the instant she'd stepped into the metal box and commanded it to take her down below.

In truth, the action was a habit, a terrible one she'd obtained after years of working seamlessly onto to reach a screeching stop that forced her to wait. Whenever this happened, it felt like everything around her was crawling along at a snail's pace while she was revving and waiting to go like some kind of sports car. She had always wondered where her impatience had manifested itself, had spent countless hours asking herself this very question.

But now she wasn't wondering about needless worries. Now she was cursing the time as it slowly progressed, knowing there was more at stake.

She had been on her way to the cafeteria from the front hall when she had spotted Headmaster Kramer descending the stairs from the elevator. Having already known of his meeting with Norg, the Lieutenant had expected for him to emerge worse for wear – he always came out of those meetings remarkably annoyed, especially nowadays – but the very sight of the elderly man who had looked so… elderly… had stopped her in her tracks and forced her into action.

Headmaster Kramer had instead shaken off her concerns and her insistence that he go to the infirmary – that she remembered the infirmary doctor having wanted to see him anyway. She had thought he was just being stubborn about his health, but what he said next to her had chilled her to the bone.

_Go downstairs to Norg's room,_ he had told her. _Don't let anything happen to them._

Whoever _they _were was irrelevant. The urgency in his tone, the desperation in his eyes, everything about his appearance had been enough to send her on her way, the Headmaster's own seeming need for help forgotten in the thought that Norg was starting the whole fiasco up all over again, this time with a sacrifice. The fact that she so happened to be junctioned and armed was assuring to her in this critical time.

Finally, the floor shifted as she reached her destination. As the elevator continued to slow before reaching its stop, she withdrew one of her glocks and squeezed through the gap of the Plexiglas doors as they parted in exit. She descended the stairs quickly before breaking out into a run, turning the corner as she tried to figure out a means of getting whatever captives out of there, only knowing she had to reach them before it was too late.

Xu ran straight for the chamber where she knew the bastard was, knowing he wasn't likely to leave his self-imposed sanctuary. Turning the corner, she gained everyone's attention as she emerged seemingly from nowhere, weapon raised. The Garden Faculty was present, the sight didn't surprise or impress the Lieutenant any, but as she looked around she spied the three teenagers who were forced to their knees before the Garden Master and she stifled a groan, wondering why _they _were always in the middle of things.

"You've overstep your boundaries this time, Norg," Xu said as she kept her weapon level. The Garden Faculty were exchanging glances between one another, though the ones with hostages tightened their grip almost threateningly, eliciting a shocked gasp from Rinoa. "I'll say this only once. Let them go."

"Ah-the-Headmaster's-Pet-dog," Norg sneered at her, not even bothering to hide behind pleasantries or the diplomatic bullshit he normally spouted. "It-seems-we-have-an-infestation-of-Kramer's-followers. Sanitize-this-room-immediately! Start-with-the-bitch!"

The Garden Faculty did not hesitate to follow this order as they began to loom towards her. The ones with hostages stayed their place, but they did not make a move to kill them, seemingly enthralled by the fight that was yet to come. And oh would there ever be a fight. Xu was ready for it.

For years she had been forced to uphold the Garden Faculty's authority and to defend them as the students and SeeDs made their thoughts of the robed men known. She had hated every moment of it, wishing that she could turn her back and allow the students to sock them one without having to dispense disciplinary action for the attack. How she'd yearned to do so herself. But orders and protocol had stopped her short of abuse, issuing clipped words of reprimand to the students involved before issuing her warnings to the Garden Faculty for taking things too far. They would return these threats with sneers and mocking tones before they went along their way and the process began anew.

Her hands had been tied then, because no harm could come from the contracted workers, but now she was simply defending herself. _Now _she could finally give them the hell these people deserved. And so as they converged upon her, Xu took aim and fired, the rounds blasting out of the chamber and punching a hole into the nearest Faculty. Two of them were hit and they immediately fell to the floor, one clutching at his chest while the other gurgled helplessly through the hole in his throat. Their hoods had flown up off their heads to reveal their identities: one human and one Shumi, both male.

Not allowing herself to be surprised by the men behind their masks, Xu pressed on, firing another couple of rounds before one of the Faculty to her left managed to grab hold of the weapon. He jerked her arm away, ruining her aim and sending the blasted round up into the ceiling. She tried to wrench her arm back but the Faculty was far stronger than she'd given him credit. He pulled her arm out and down so that her forearm was exposed, but before he could do anything else, she hauled off with her free hand and slugged him in his face, the force of the blow more painful thanks to her junctions.

_That mask sure as hell doesn't protect him from that. _The thought was bitter as she watched the man move with the motion of the blow before concentrating her sights elsewhere. Spinning on the spot, she brought up her leg and kicked out at another advancing Faculty, catching him in the soft spot beneath his breastbone and forcing him back, his wheezing as her blow connected with his solar plexus. Before anyone else could get too close to her, Xu lashed out with paramagic. The wind from the Areo spell blasted the closest bodies away, but it did nothing to thin the crowd. She didn't dare use Tornado, not when Squall, Zell or Rinoa could accidentally be whipped up in the storm.

Having created more space for herself, the Lieutenant backed away from the group of enemies and reached behind her to draw out her weapon of choice. She was quite the expert when it came to firearms, but while she was almost legendary for using them, they weren't her preferred choice of combat. They were all but useless in these close quarters anyway. She sheathed the glock she held with her other hand as she grasped hold of the metallic-silver handle of the rod across her back and, as she withdrew it, depressed the switch, causing it to extend on either end as she brought it out in front of her.

The rest of the weapon was the blackish-grey colour of carbon fibre at its natural appearance, a lighter alternative to the bulky wood she had witnessed others utilize in their training. It wasn't near as wide a weapon as most other quarterstaffs, but it was still hard enough to cause some damage. And damage was _exactly _what the Lieutenant was renowned for.

Bringing her arm back around in front of her, Xu flicked her wrist and rotated the weapon at an 85 degree angle, forcing the recovering Garden Faculty back further. She spun the weapon as she changed hands, twisted on the spot and struck out, tripping the two at the front and knocking them off their feet. Three others went sprawling along with them, though she gave them no notice. Instead, her focus was on the still advancing swarm of robed figures and she raised the weapon up before smashing it into her target's face, hearing the resolute _crunch _of cartilage that signalled she'd just broken the man's nose.

Acting quickly, the brunette swept the weapon low again, knocking him and two others down onto the ground before she raised it up to guard against another attack. The Garden Faculty member to her left pressed down on a truncheon stick that was made from material not unlike her own weapon, but with two hands pressing up against the one, Xu had the advantage. She pushed him back before flipping the weapon up, hitting him in the stomach. With a casual flick of her right wrist, Xu sent the staff away to the side of her victim and allowed it to continue the arc up past the Faculty's head. Once he end had passed the victim's shoulder, she flicked her wrist to the right, the movement causing the staff to rotate in a semi-circle before bouncing off he head of another Garden Faculty, one who had attempt to attack her from behind.

Spinning again, Xu caused the top of her quarterstaff to hit another advancing Garden Faculty in the head with a resolute _thud _before he was rendered unconscious for his efforts. Regardless, she didn't stop her movements. Xu allowed the weapon to fly up along her shoulders and she tilted it up towards the right, knocking the tip of the object into the chin of a Faculty as she kicked out with her foot and pushed another one back. Her foot had barely touched the ground again before she was spinning again, throwing her foot back out and landing a blow against the stomach of another Faculty. The quarterstaff was brought up to rest horizontally, and behind her she heard the expected _crunch _of contact made but she paid it no mind. Turning around, she spun the weapon once more and clocked two other Garden Faculty members in the head before spotting her previous victim on the ground clutching at his groin.

* * *

The throngs of bodies blocked her path, but she didn't need to see to know what was happening beyond. She could hear the sounds of battle, the reports of gunfire before the crunch of metal hitting body parts as Xu fought amongst the Garden Faculty who were attempting to restrain her or worse. As she listened, as the sounds intensified, as the sight of the Garden Faculty hitting the ground became a constant occurrence, Rinoa asked herself one question: What the hell was _she _doing?

Xu was fighting for her life, for _all _of them. She was giving as much as the Garden Faculty was (attempting to), taking names and kicking ass and here she was kneeling on the floor like some sacrificial lamb in some action movie who could only stare helplessly as the hero fought like his life depended on it. Disgust of her inactivity washed over here as the thought ran through her mind as she heard the efforts of the elder woman.

Norg's attention was also fixed on the fighting, his features growing in agitation and irritation that it was taking too long, but there was also what Rinoa thought looked like desperation as he yelled at his people to 'hurry it up'. Just from the sounds alone, Rinoa didn't see that happening any time soon.

Craning her neck back, she took in the two hooded figures who holding her pinned down. They seemed torn between jumping in and helping their coworkers or staying put and keeping an eye on the three of them. Either way, they were half distracted. She could feel that their grip on her arms wasn't near as strong as it had been initially. If she was going to try to escape, now was her chance. While she didn't have the Blaster Edge with her, she still had magic on her side. Mediocre spells were still better than nothing.

Confident in her choice, she turned her attention to her hands. She decided that it was time to show these guys exactly what kind of a dangerous reputation her nails had gotten her back in Timber.

And without hesitation, she twisted her body and lashed out with ten pointed tips of lightly coated daggers and scratched at the hood that guarded the Garden Faculty's identity from her. He let out a surprised shout as he backed away, removing his grip from her in his attempt to avoid the attack. He realized his mistake, but by then it was too late, because she ended up watching as the block of ice she conjured above his head came crashing down atop him. He toppled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut and didn't get back up again.

Quickly backing away so as not to get grabbed again, Rinoa threw her hand out in front of her and watched as a streak of lightning shot out from nowhere, striking her second prison keeper and blasting him off his feet and into the adjacent wall. Like his partner, he did not stir and Rinoa, who had only meant to stun him, silently congratulated herself before a shout of "Duck!" caused her to crouch down, her arms flinging up over her head protectively. She felt the presence of a body fly over her head and as she turned to her right, she found one of the Garden Faculty lying unconscious against the floor.

Looking over to her left she caught sight of Zell's relieved features as he flashed her a thumbs up. Neither one spoke as they sprang into action, Zell charging over and pouncing onto the back of one of the nearest Faculty members while Rinoa blasted and bombarded her opponents with her limited array of spells in an attempt to create a path. Her fire spells set the cloaks of the three it had hit ablaze and they became distracted in smothering the flames. She paid them no mind as she pushed passed them, constantly working to thin the masses and get to the Lieutenant to provide some assistance. Nearby, Zell pounced from Garden Faculty to Garden Faculty, causing them to attack one another unintentionally in their haste to stop the brawler's progress.

Finally, she caught sight of Xu as the veteran SeeD was flipped onto her back with one of the Garden Faculty attempting to strangely her by pressing the metal bar she hand in both hands against her windpipe. Rinoa pushed through the crowds with more force than ever, intending to stop the strangling from occurring but she needn't have bothered. Xu lifted her legs and hefted herself bodily upwards with a flexibility that would make any gymnast green with envy. She wrapped her legs around the head of the robed figure before using her lower body muscles to flip him onto his back. While he fell to the ground with a _crack _that could barely be heard through the fighting around them, Xu sat herself up into a crouching position, her grip still maintained along what Rinoa assumed was a lightweight quarterstaff. Without missing a beat, the Lieutenant swept it behind her and knocked down the three Garden Faculty who had been attempting to come up from behind.

"Are you okay?" Rinoa asked when she finally reached the other woman.

Xu didn't answer her. Instead, she threw her hand out in front of her and Rinoa was suddenly forced to brace herself against a wind that couldn't have reached them by normal means. The Aero spell had enough power behind it to knock her feet right out from under her as she hit the floor hard, landing on her stomach and knocking her chin against the smooth surface. She struggled to blink the stars from her vision as quickly as possible, but was still able to catch the sight of Xu throwing out her other arm. A crackle of electric energy soared over Rinoa's prone form, causing the hair at the back of her head to rise up and meet the conductive force. Behind her, she spotted the group of Faculty Xu had aimed at, now lying on the ground after their electrocution, groaning loudly for their efforts. Wondering briefly why she wasn't joining the goons in their paralytic paradise, she got her answer as she spotted Zell rising from his own casting stance, his hands primed in her direction, before he whirled around to face his own attackers.

"I'm fine, to answer your question," Xu said from close by. Rinoa looked in the direction and spotted the Lieutenant making a visual sweep of the area before cursing. "But they knocked away my gun and my combat knives. No time to worry about them though."

"Duck!" Rinoa interrupted, having spotted movement from behind the elder woman. Xu did as instructed and the raven-haired girl threw her arm out in front of her, the magic ice ball she had conjured dropping harshly overtop the hooded figure who had tried to take the Lieutenant unawares and rendering him unconscious. As Xu turned back from watching the display, Rinoa offered her a grin and could've sworn the Lieutenant had returned it. If she was right, then Xu looked much younger than she seemed when she wasn't scowling or looking all authoritative-like.

She didn't have time to marvel it though because she suddenly heard a startled shout coming from Zell's direction. Without a word exchanged between them, both Xu and Rinoa jumped into action and charged at a run to the brawler's position. They found Zell being pinned down onto his back by three of the Garden Faculty while a fourth was holding what looked like a knife over the blonde SeeD's face.

Xu was faster than Rinoa. She reached the hooded figure with the weapon and, with a well-executed spin kick, knocked the knife clean out of his hand before the quarterstaff sailed through the air and followed suit, smacking him upside the head. Rinoa compensated for her lack of speed by conjuring another two blocks of ice and dropping them unceremoniously atop the faculty's heads before Zell, now mostly free, flipped himself up effortlessly and tackled the lone Faculty remaining. Zell was flung off the man who pulled himself back up onto his feet before Xu's quarterstaff finished the job, sending him back against the floor and smashing his head against the surface. He didn't stir.

"There's just too many of them," Xu said, breathing hard for her efforts. Even Zell was showing signs of wear and Rinoa was barely able to stand between the actions of running around and channelling her spells. Both took a lot out of you. "We won't be able to take them _all _out!"

"But what else _can _we do?" Rinoa asked incredulously. "Just surrender? Let them kill us for our efforts? How does _that _help us, exactly?"

"Heh," Zell said through pants of his own, cracking the muscles in his neck rather noisily as he spoke, "if I'm goin' down, I'm taking out as many of these fuckers as I can. I owe it to the Garden. They've been everyone's pain in the ass for a long time. _Too _long, in fact."

Xu levelled her quarterstaff and Rinoa took it as a non-verbal agreement. In turn she nodded resolutely, and dropped into a defensive state as she prepared herself mentally. If the others were fighting against people they were supposed to respect, then she had no reason why she couldn't.

But then Xu stepped in the way, blocking her path to the Garden Faculty. She was looking at the advancing Garden Faculty but somehow Rinoa knew she was being scrutinized from the corner of her eye. "When Zell and I go in, you get the hell out. Gather as many SeeD members as you can and direct them down here but do _not _come after them. Find the Headmaster and tell him what happened down here, he'll want to know. He's-"

"No!" Rinoa said firmly, pressing her lips together. Why couldn't these SeeD people get it through their heads that she was more than capable of defending herself? Client or no, she had proven herself time and again and still everyone was treating her with kid gloves.

Xu sighed almost in the same way an impatient parent would deal with a stubborn child. "Rinoa, you are a civilian with no military training or field experience whatsoever. Moreover, you're a _client_. This is not your fight."

Zell suddenly roared loudly and seconds later, he was bounding forward. It took Rinoa a second to realize he was jumping into the fray to keep the Garden Faculty distracted. Xu must have realized this to, because she didn't stop him. Instead, she trained her sights onto the raven-haired girl, fixing her a disapproving look, but Rinoa cut her off before she could say anything else. "Norg _made _it my fight when he tried to kill me. When he tried to kill us _all_."

"_Because _he thinks you're part of the team from Galbadia," Xu said in exasperation.

"And you're saying I'm not?" Rinoa folded her arms across her chest defiantly. "If that's the case, then you're wrong. _I _was on the float that night when we attacked the Sorceress. _I _was arrested and held in that prison just like the others. _I _would have been left to rot in there, just like the others. Norg wouldn't have given me a second thought in the end."

"That's not the point," Xu said but Rinoa interrupted her again.

"Actually, that's _exactly _the point. I _am _a part of this now, and I wish everyone would stop treating me like some irresponsible baby who can't stand on their own two feet!"

Xu suddenly reached out and grabbed Rinoa by the arm before forcefully pulling her back and away. "Maybe if you started _acting _like an adult, you might get treated like one," she practically snarled.

Rinoa tried to wrench her arm free but instead the woman tightened her grip, making it impossible. Xu must've been junctioned because Rinoa knew she should've been able to fight her off better, regardless of her fighting background. She scowled at the thought, fully believing that it was most certainly unfair that SeeDs got to be all super-powered and swore to herself then and there that she was going to junction herself to one and see what the fuss was about. "Let go!" Rinoa snapped as she tried to pry her arm free. "I _said _let go!"

"Look," Xu snapped as she whirled around to face her, "if you would stop acting like a spoiled brat for a second and _think…_" But then she trailed off, her grip on the younger girl's arm slackening somewhat.

Rinoa took advantage of this and finally pried her arm free, rubbing at the spot where Xu's fingers had dug into the skin almost painfully so. Fully believing that the hurtful assaulting would leave bruising, she scowled in the Lieutenant's direction but stopped as she took in the shocked expression fixed in the woman's features. The widening of the eyes and the slackening of the jaw told the raven-haired girl that something had captured Xu's attention.

She didn't have to even ask, because Xu answered the unvoiced question without being prompted. "What the _hell _does he think he's doing?"

Rinoa looked over, expecting to witness Zell trying to execute one of his insane stunt that would normally require a stunt-double, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The brawler had thrown himself into the throngs of the hooded drones who were following their murderous orders, using every single body part he possessed as a vital weapon. She watched almost in a mesmerized daze as Zell smashed his forehead into a Garden Faculty's head before bringing the back of his head into the nose of another, all without missing a beat or even betraying a wince of pain. The elbow of his left hand was driven into another assailant's shoulder while he outstretched his right hand, sending a blast of electrical energy shooting towards three more of the goons at the same time as he clothes-lined another with his outstretched bicep. It was like watching something out of the action sequences from movies that Zone and Watts could never get enough of.

Rinoa turned to look back at Xu, to remark that this was nothing new but then the elder woman suddenly ran forward. She was met with no interference because Zell was providing the perfect distraction, and thus she was able to get through the crowd. Curious and surprised, Rinoa followed after her, suddenly getting the feeling that she was missing something.

Ahead of her, she heard Xu saying something about stopping him, but she didn't understand what she was talking about. She suddenly realized that they were headed straight for Norg's chair-thingy and, almost immediately after this revelation, she realized that there was something there that didn't belong.

Rinoa had taken a good hard look at this chair when she'd first been standing in front of the huge bulk that was the Garden's proprietor. Almost immediately she had decided it to be expensive and had wondered why such money was being spent on such luxuries instead of funding for the Garden, or whether Norg had shelled out his own money to pay for it. If it was the latter, then Norg seemed to wave money around like it was some kind of paper-fan – easy to come by, easily replaced. It had two round spheres at the front that probably had functions Rinoa didn't even want to think about, believing that they were probably some kind of defensive measure.

She didn't know what had drawn the elder woman to this chair until they got close enough to identify what it was that didn't belong. It was a _person_.

More importantly, it was a person she knew.

She didn't know how he had managed to get past the Garden Faculty or even when they had lost sight of him altogether. Rinoa knew that her first priority had been reaching Xu and defending themselves from the people who wanted them dead. Now seeing Squall scale the side of the pod she realized she should have known something was up. All throughout the meeting she had noticed how tense the SeeD had been getting, though she hadn't thought much of it. He'd been pissed before they'd reached the basement, and the additional stress of reliving the failure that was the mission hadn't help matters, so she had chalked it up to his bad mood. She should have realized when he had fallen quiet – even more so than usual – that something was wrong.

Now he was pulling himself up along the side of the pod, scaling the thing like an experienced mountain climber would the side of a cliff. She knew he had to be physically strong to pull off such a feat. She didn't know if he was junctioned or not, but even so he had no footing to support his weight, nothing to catch him should he slip and fall. The training SeeD afforded really was something to be admired. But what worried her the most was not the possibility that Squall could potentially hurt himself critically should that happen. Despite his lack of support, there were spells that could brace his landing, decrease the potential for serious injury. It was the glint of metal that flashed from his right hand, clenched into a fist that gripped onto the weapon.

Rinoa didn't need to think about it to know that it was the combat knife Xu had mentioned she'd lost during the struggle to defend herself. Squall must've been in reach of one of them and he'd grabbed it before he'd started his climb. Not only did the sight of the weapon unnerve her, but the look of sheer determination in his features, like he was a man on a mission, was what really terrified her. She'd seen that look many times before, on the mission in Timber when they were connecting the Forest Owl's train to the Galbadians, along the trek to Galbadia Garden when they were fleeing to avoid arrest and detainment, even during the fight in the Tomb of the Unknown King where they fought against their lives against the Brother's GF. But she _especially _remembered seeing that look the moment the mission went south. The very instant Irvine missed his shot and Squall realized it all fell to him.

That it all fell to _him _to kill the Sorceress.

Between the look on his face and the knife in his hand, Rinoa knew what he was planning to do. Even with Xu's junctions, there was no way they would reach him in time, to stop him. By the time she connected the dots, Squall was already near the top and was carefully pulling himself the rest of the way, lying low on his stomach as he started crawling towards Norg, moving like a predator hunting his prey.

At first Rinoa thought he would be busted before he could get any closer, but Norg was completely oblivious, focussed on issuing orders at the Garden faculty as they increased their struggles to take down Zell. She knew it was only a matter of time before Zell was overwhelmed.

"Squall!" Xu was shouting at the top of her lungs. It was hard to hear her over the sounds of fighting, something that gave them the advantage since Norg couldn't hear her either. Squall was either in the same boat or he was ignoring them, both were very probably possibilities. "Squall, stop what you're doing, _now_! That's an order!"

"Don't do it!" Rinoa shouted, equally desperate to gain his attention. She even tried waving her arms above her head. "Please don't do it! It's not worth it, _he's _not worth it! You're better than this!"

Squall was still ignoring them, but their shouts and exclamations drew Norg's attention towards them. Seeing them so close to his pod, the Garden proprietor's eyes widened as much as the fatty tissue surrounding them would allow, giving him an almost comical look. At the sight Rinoa almost groaned, fully believing that he thought _they _were the threat. They were providing Squall with the perfect distraction to finish him off.

"Imbeciles!" Norg snarled as his voice box translated the words into common. "They've-gotten-too-close! Stop-them!"

Some of the Garden Faculty turned to respond, but stopped as they caught sight of Norg's real assailant. Even Zell, who had been putting up the fight of his life, froze momentarily as he caught sight of Squall, as the realization of what his comrade was about to do dawned into his features. It proved to be a fatal error, because the Garden Faculty overwhelmed him, taking advantage of his momentary shock and eliciting a shout of surprise from the brawler as he was forced onto the ground. Xu whirled around, appearing torn between helping the one SeeD and stopping the other. Rinoa had never seen anyone so indecisive before in her life.

By the time Rinoa retrained her sights on Squall, he had already reached his target. He leaned forward as he raised the hand that held the knife, gripped tightly in fingers that turned white at the knuckle. At that very moment, Norg turned his attention to his right and spotted the SeeD, but by the time he made the startled noise in the back of his throat, Squall had raised the knife high up above his head and with a force that looked like it took all of his energy brought it flying down into the Garden Master's chest. Norg's pained howl filled the room, echoing off the empty walls and the high ceiling. Everyone stopped what they were doing at the sound, seemingly frozen in shock and awe at what was happening.

But Squall wasn't done. No sooner had he broken through flesh and drawn blood did he raise it above his head again and repeated the again. He gained momentum each time the cycle repeated itself, the force of the attack sending blood oozing from the wounds, staining the SeeD's hand, sending flecks of blood to hit his chin and stain his t-shirt. Rinoa could only stare in horror as she covered her mouth with both hands, unable to believe what she was seeing. Xu shouted for Squall to stop but her commands went ignored as he only increased his actions.

Having managed to liberate himself from the shocked Faculty, Zell was on his feet and bounding for the chair so quickly that Rinoa didn't realize what he was doing until he had started to climb. It felt like an agonizingly long time before he reached the top and even longer before he reached his comrade, striking out like a viper and grabbing the SeeD by the hand before he could continue the violent cycle. When Rinoa had expected another violent exchange between the two, she was surprised when Zell was able to get him to stop. Somehow, the brawler even managed to convince him to climb back down.

By this time, Norg had stopped screaming.

He was dead.

Squall had killed him.

* * *

_And so Norg doesn't go out in a flashy bang or even by a Guardian Force. He was simply stabbed. Repeatedly._

_My reasoning for simplifying Norg's death is not to downplay the character; he was important and vital to unlocking one of the biggest plot twists in the entire game. I didn't want to over emphasize the act of his death because the aftermath of it is (or should have been in the game at least) so much more important. More on this at the end of the next chapter. Trust me when I say I do know what I'm doing, even when it seems like I don't. _

_And Xu kicks more ass, this time with a quarterstaff (yet another scene I have had in mind since the beginning). Gotta love the Garden's Lieutenant._

* * *

**Update: **_02/11/2012 - I've added more detail, dialogue and discription to the chapter, which in turn extended this chapter by almost 5k words. Hopefully it wasn't too boring. If I missed any errors, please feel free to let me know so I can change them right away, it's been a very long week of editing this chapter._


	28. Chapter XXVI: Sprouting Truth

**Chapter XXVI:**  
**Sprouting Truth**

* * *

Time blurred together, making recollection almost impossible. Actions seemed inconsequential, so by the time he reached the elevator, Zell found himself hard-pressed to remember just how they'd managed the feat.

He knew that he'd had to climb back down to the bottom of Norg's pod, and he knew they had to walk the distance to the elevator. But the shock of what just happened was just too much it would seem because the next thing he knew, everyone was in the elevator and the door closed before they headed upstairs.

He was surprised that they hadn't met any resistance from the Garden Faculty. Zell assumed they were in just as much shock as they were, probably even more so with their loyalties to the Garden Proprietor. He vaguely remembered the Lieutenant ordering them to either stay where they were or to jump ship. Zell doubted that would have stopped them if they had been in the right frame of mind and he also doubted that their involvement in this incident was unlikely to be forgotten, especially in the near future.

Squall hadn't said a word to anyone since Zell had finally reached him. That in itself wasn't so strange as was the way he had become strangely compliant, like a doll being dragged along by a child, unable to form decisions on their own. He wasn't hurt and they didn't have to drag him anywhere, but he followed along after them looking like he was in a kind of daze of sorts. Zell had expected to have to wrestle with the other SeeD when they had been at the top of Norg's pod, but strangely all it had taken to stop him had been to grab his wrist and prevent the action. He hadn't even gotten punched for his efforts. He had most definitely not been looking forward to the confrontation but had done so anyway, knowing that it had needed to happen, but now his stomach was filled with a strange mix of feelings he was trying very hard to ignore.

The front of the elder SeeD's shirt was covered in blood and gore, his chin dotted with small flex of the stuff, and Zell was trying very hard to forget where it had all come from. He tried to forget the look that was fixed onto Norg's features, forever twisted in that open-mouthed scream of horror, eyes almost popping past the fat folds of his eyelids in his terror. He tried to forget the look but each time he blinked he could see it as fresh as the nightmares from his field exam that still plagued him whenever he shut his eyes for more than five seconds. Squall appeared to not care, both about his appearance or what he'd done or anything and the longer he watched his comrade the more he began to wonder if the older SeeD hadn't fallen into shock.

_And what a shock…_ Zell couldn't help but inwardly muse.

It had felt like they'd been down here for a really long time. It had seemed to take every bit of effort on Rinoa's part to walk away from the scene, with Xu helping her by gently guiding her away. The Lieutenant appeared to be the only one unshaken, but who knew what was running through her mind? The brawler sure as hell didn't, but he couldn't help but envy her for her strength. If anything she looked much like she was prepared to submit a report about a couple of kids scrapping in the hall for some stupid reason rather than having just witnessed a murder.

But then another thought took hold of him, almost draining the remaining colour he had in his features away. What was going to happen to Squall in the end? He just killed the Garden Proprietor, the guy who funded the Garden – and there was no probably about it, not with the way his looks just screamed 'money' – which meant the Garden itself was gonna run into some serious financial trouble. Moreover, from the sounds of it, Norg had shared control of the Garden with Cid, and more than likely the news of his death and the way it happened wasn't going to sit well with the chain of command. Someone was gonna want retribution, and the brawler was more than positive that Squall would be the fall guy, that the Garden would not stand behind him and his actions. It made his gut clench just thinking about it because Zell believed that if anyone deserved to be a SeeD, then it was most definitely the elder teenager and he didn't want this one act of murder to affect the rest of his career, the rest of his _life_.

_It was self-defence,_ Zell forcibly reminded himself. _If Norg hadn't bought it, then _we _woulda. _

The way that no one spoke at all was eerie. Never before had he ever heard the elevator so quiet when it was usually filled with whispered gossip or other forms of conversation. It was stifling and he wanted very badly for someone to take a hammer to it, to shatter it into thousands of ear-splitting pieces, but he had no idea how to do it. Rinoa's attention was fixed so forcibly in front of her, Zell thought she might get whiplash just by looking to the left. By the tightening of her jaw and the tell-tale flinch from the sudden hum of the elevator, the brawler realized she wanted everyone to just stay quiet. Beside her, Xu stood near the buttons that controlled the mechanical box, looking like she wanted to fidget while taking extreme force of will not to do so. Her right hand twitched occasionally, only for the Lieutenant to shift her stance and clench it, as though reprimanding the appendage for moving without her instruction. He almost wished she'd let herself tap her foot against the hard floor, because that at least would've been a welcome distraction to the thoughts that were running rampant through his mind.

Then, as though someone was granting him this wish, he heard a dull _thud _from his left, a sound so quiet that he wouldn't have heard it if it weren't for the tense silence. Knowing that Rinoa and Xu had had nothing to do with the noise, he turned to the only other person in the cramped confines, noticing how Squall was leaning against the wall, the back of his head resting against the wall behind him with eyes shut and the signs of a scowl creeping up into features that had, moments ago, been slack and devoid of all expression.

_This has _got _to be the longest and most awkward elevator ride in history… _Zell mused in dismay, feeling like the elevator had sensed the atmosphere and had decided to torture them all by rising up at a slow crawl.

He heard a whispered curse come from Squall's position and decided between that and the scowling the older SeeD had just had the levity of the situation hit him like a mac truck. His whole stance just screamed 'What have I done' and Zell could spot the first signs of dread forming in Squall's expression before he moulded his features into an emotionless expression, topped with the annoyed scowl his peers had learned to identify him with. The thought brought him back to his field exam in Dollet, where the weight of his first kill had hit him hard. Sometimes he could still see the blood and gore of the man who's face he'd bashed in with his fists, of seeing the same gore along his shirt and wiping his arm across his cheek to come away with the blood. But what had done him in, what had truly made him dread his actions had been the lifeless stare of the man he had killed, that lifeless accusing look that condemned him for his actions.

Embarrassingly enough it had been Seifer who had brought him out of his funk doing what he did best: be an asshole. It had been a deterrent, a distraction that he had needed at the time, but even now he was still haunted by images of that night, of the stench of burnt meat and flesh as they'd set the corpses aflame, of all the blood he'd witnessed in those short but somehow infinite feeling hours. For those first two weeks after the fact he'd barely managed to get any sleep, always haunted by the faces of those he'd killed.

Even now he felt shaken as the thoughts conjured images into his mind but he forced them away, knowing that the Field Exam was so much more different than the situation he had just found himself. It was different because they had been ordered to fight the Galbadians who had invaded the Dukedom. They had fought in defence of not only themselves but of the citizens and civilians the Galbadians had almost occupied, people who could not defend themselves against the might of Deling's army. Here they were insanely more complicated, but the fact remained that both instances had been done in self-defence.

Finally he couldn't stand it anymore. He had to say something to break through the tension, he had to check on his comrade, make sure he was okay. "Uh… Squall?" He asked tentatively, almost hesitantly as his voice barely made a sound.

Still, against the maddening silence it sounded like someone had spoken through a megaphone in a crowded stadium. Ahead of him Rinoa flinched but otherwise made no move that indicated she had heard. The Lieutenant looked up from her own musings at the sound of the brawler's voice and turned her attention to him, as though waiting to hear what he had to say. Not really liking being the centre of attention when he had only really meant to talk to one person, Zell forced the thought away and went forward with his thoughts. "Uh… you okay, man?"

Silence greeted him in response and he could've dropped kicked himself, he felt like an idiot. What the hell kind of question was that? Of course he wasn't alright, the whole damned situation wasn't right. He wasn't even alright, and he wasn't the one who was gonna be facing some serious shit. He felt like a total heel as the silence progressed for a full minute, and he figured Squall was gonna let the silence speak for itself.

But then Squall chose that very moment to not be predictable and he looked at Zell out of the corner of his eye. "I'm fine."

Zell gawked at him incredulously. "After what just happened? You can't be serious, man-"

The look hardened into a glare, effectively cutting off everything else that Zell was about to say. "I said 'I am _fine_'_._"

While the words were spoken in monotone, there was something in the tone that acted like a slap in the face. Zell recoiled as though he had been physically attacked, but forced himself to stay his place if only because he knew what had happened back there. Something had snapped, and it was only now beginning to piece itself back together. What Squall needed right now was time to sort it all out, not their reassurances or their concerns.

The Lieutenant sighed loudly, the sound so sudden it was almost jarring. When he turned to regard her he saw she was frowning. Zell would bet money what she was going to say next and didn't like it, thinking it was a terrible idea. Unfortunately, he knew she was only doing her job, that she had to report what had happened to the Headmaster and go from there.

Ignorant of his inner musings, the Lieutenant finished her sigh and spoke up. "We need to discuss what happened just now."

Again, that stifling silence filled the air, almost choking all the oxygen out of the brawler's lungs. But it didn't last nearly as long as Zell had thought it would. Once again, the always quiet SeeD broke it. "Forget it, it's not important."

"_Excuse_ me?"

Rinoa had finally opted to speak, her words holding such a force of indignation and incredulous outrage that Zell thought she was about to attack someone, namely Squall. When she turned around to face them, her eyes were wide and filled with disbelief as she stared at the SeeD like he was some kind of monster that should've been locked up in cage. "Of all the things I've heard you say, this has _got _to be the _most _outrageously callous comment yet. 'Forget it, it's not _important_'? How can you say that with such a straight face? How can you even _think _it?"

She looked between both the Lieutenant and Zell, as though urging them to give her their support. After a second, she returned her incredulous look onto her target, her eyes continuing to blaze as she spoke. "_I _think what happened downstairs was _very _important. I think it was serious and, yes, we _do _need to talk about it."

"I don't really care what you think," Squall said calmly, though there was absolutely nothing calm about the whole situation.

"Well _I _don't care that _you_ don't care!" Rinoa snapped back heatedly, having lost her composure. "You can't honestly tell me that you're totally _fine _with everything that's happened since Norg called you downstairs to debrief! _Nothing _has been _fine _at all since this whole thing _started_! We got _shafted _working a job that wasn't even supposed to be ours to begin with! We _risked _our _lives_ doing some stupid test of courage by a paranoid general who's got his head so far up his own ass his nose is rubbing up against his stomach! We were beaten and _arrested _by a murdering Sorceress who wouldn't have given two _shits _about us in the grand scheme of things! We _barely _got out of _that _one with the skin on our backs, and _you_… _you _just _killed a man like some deranged lunatic_!"

And there it was, the reason for Rinoa's raging silence before the trigger had been pulled to set off the torrent of explosion that was her temper, that was the last month of hell they had all suffered. No she was more than just angry, than just furious at all they had been put through and how they had been 'rewarded' for their efforts. She was terrified, probably more scared than she'd ever felt in her entire lifetime. She hadn't even been this scared since they had been forced to fight the undead Gerogero on the train mission where they'd first met.

She was actually _terrified _of Squall Leonhart.

This revelation floored the brawler, so much so that he couldn't find the words to speak. The guy was cold, practically made of ice in the view of almost everyone at the Garden. He most certainly didn't have a way with words. Zell had first met the guy when they'd been made roommates during his first year at the Garden and liked to think he knew him better than most. Yeah, he had been intimidated, but scared wasn't exactly the word he would have used in describing the brunet.

Then again, he had never seen Squall lose his cool like _that _before, not even when he was fighting in the halls with Seifer. And he had to admit for a second, he really had been scared that Squall would turn on him when he'd first stopped him. Honestly he didn't know how to feel about it.

He was saved the time to think about it thought because a chime signalled the elevator had reached its destination. As soon as the doors parted, Squall was out the door, barely allowing them to slide out of his way. Rinoa was quick to follow after him and Zell wasn't too far behind, allowing a muttered 'Oh boy' to escape him as he moved out onto the platform leading to the stairs beyond. Somehow he sensed that things were about to get very _loud _and very _ugly_ very _fast_ and he most definitely wasn't looking forward to playing mediator.

By the time he reached the landing, Squall was already near the bottom. Rinoa had stopped where the stairs broke off onto a second landing, her hands balled into fists under the uniform jacket she wore. "Don't you _dare_ walk away and pretend that _this _did not happen!" She shouted. "It _did_, and I'm _not _letting you go until you explain yourself!"

Zell flinched and looked around, knowing that eventually the shouts would draw attention to them. For his part, Squall finally stopped and turned around to face the raven-haired girl, a sight that surprised him since Zell had only ever seen Squall successfully baited by Seifer. "Explain myself?" He asked in exasperation before he suddenly laughed a laugh that held no mirth or warmth. "I don't _have _to explain _anything_ to you, _Princess_!"

"The _hell _you don't!" Rinoa snapped back.

"Right… Take a look around. No, seriously," he continued on when Rinoa turned her head away in an exasperated gesture, folding her arms across her chest in a stance of defiance. "Take a good _hard_ look. We're not in Timber anymore, are we? We aren't around a group of people who are actually _willing _to accommodate you and put up with your _shit_. We're not working to _rescue _Timber from the _big bad _Galbadians. We're in _Garden_, where all your little rules no longer apply!"

"Nice diversion, making this all about me," Rinoa pounced aggressively, "but changing the subject's not gonna work this time. We _need _to talk about this!"

"I don't _need_ to talk about _anything_ with _anyone_, least of all with _you_!" Squall shot back. "And there's no point in just talking about what happened, because you barely know any more than I do what the hell's going on!"

"So then what? We're just supposed to ignore it? To pretend that it didn't happen and hope it all goes away!" Rinoa laughed that same mirthless laugh, and the sound of it gave Zell Goosebumps. "And you call _me _childish!"

"I'm not dignifying _that _with a response!"

"Guys," Zell finally mustered the courage to say as he climbed down the stairs to stand between them. So far, they had gotten lucky and no one had come out to investigate the commotion, but he knew that was likely to change if they continued their shouting match in the hall. "You're making a scene."

"Stay out of this!" Both Squall and Rinoa turned on him, hissing in his direction like feuding cats.

Gulping audibly, Zell snapped his mouth shut deciding it wasn't worth turning them both against him to stop them from yelling at each other. He raised his hands up in what was supposed to be a sign of surrender and backed up against the railing. Looking up for some reinforcement from the Lieutenant, he found her pacing on the upper landing with the communicator pressed to her ear, not even paying any attention to the scene ahead of her. The sight made him feel slightly resentful and hoped that the Garden was coming down around their ears for her to be ignoring what was happening and leaving him to deal with it.

"You just don't wanna talk about this because it'd mean admitting that you _killed _someone while they were _sitting in a God-damned chair_!" Rinoa yelled, practically shrieking at this point.

"I don't have to justify my actions," Squall finally snapped as he turned to talk away. "_Especially _when it'd just be a waste of breath _anyway_."

He started walking and Rinoa charged down the stairs after him before Zell could stop her. She didn't go far before she raised her voice again, despite the fact that Squall was still within hearing distance. "Where the _hell _do you think _you're _going?"

"To see the Headmaster," Squall shot back, "not that it's any of _your_ business."

"Why? So you can kill _him_ too?"

Zell had thought the screaming match between the pair had been scary, but apparently he didn't know the meaning of the word. He swore he damn near shit himself on the spot the moment Squall ceased all movement, coming to a sudden stop in response to Rinoa's barb. The brawler looked between the two as he waited for the fireworks to begin, for the sign that they would start attacking each other with magic and he would be forced to duck out of the line of fire to avoid being roasted in their stead. As patient as Squall was (and, when it came to matters that didn't involve Seifer, he was probably the most patient person he had ever met), even he had buttons to push. Rinoa seemed to have taken a mallet to all of them and it looked as though an explosion of wills was about to take place.

But miraculously enough, there were no blasts of magic. There were no sudden attacks, not even a death glare of impending doom thrown in the direction of the raven-haired girl. What happened on Squall's part was a deep intake of breath before he resumed his walk without so much as a careless glance behind him.

Rinoa, who apparently hadn't realized she had just dodged a bullet, ran down the rest of the stairs and stood at the very bottom, hands on her hips in a matter that said she was thoroughly outraged at his response (or lack thereof) as she started shouting after him to turn back around and talk to them. "You claim to be a SeeD! A mercenary for hire, but you know what you are? You're _nothing _but a _coward _who kills defenceless people while they're sitting in chairs!"

Zell started to run down the stairs after her, to pull her aside and tell her that what Squall needed right now was to be left alone but there was a blur of movement beside him and soon he was overshot by the Lieutenant, who had finally gotten off the phone and started to pay attention to the situation. "Deal with her. I'll handle him."

And then she was gone, taking off and leaving Zell behind to calm Rinoa down. The problem was he had no idea where to start…

* * *

Time was of the essence here, and she had no time to waste. That was why she did not set out at a brisk walk or even a jog. Despite her heeled boots, Xu full out _ran _from the stairs leading to the elevator, ran past Rinoa and chased after Squall, hoping that she would catch up to him before he could be spotted by the students who normally trolled the hallways, particularly when there was nothing else to do. If anyone spotted him the way he was now, she was sure that it would spark an uproar that would make the Faction Feud look like a barbeque.

Rounding the corner, Xu spotted him. He was a mere few feet away. She kept her sighs of relief to herself and increased her speed all the more, slowing down into a brisk walk as she snaked her arm out around his and held on with a tight grab as she steered him to her destination, dragging him along as she continued at her pace. She knew she'd caught him by surprise by the way he stumbled over his own feet in response to her quick actions. When he gathered his wits he tried to wrench his arm from her but Xu wasn't relenting and instead dug her fingers harder into his arm. She had the advantage of a GF on her side. She was willing to bet that he did not, and her assumption was confirmed when he wasn't free after the next set of attempts.

"Let go," Squall snapped after a few more unsuccessful tries.

"You're forgetting yourself," Xu commented offhandedly, careful to keep her voice low enough for only him to hear. She didn't put up with attitude from anyone and that was not about to change now. "I'm the Garden Lieutenant, and I deserve a little respect."

"Let go, _sir,_" he stressed the last word. It was almost like he was openly mocking her, something she had never witnessed before from the youth.

Still, she refused to be baited. "Better."

Squall sighed in exasperation and returned to trying to pry his arm free. Xu didn't give him the opportunity to begin complaining vocally. "We're going to the infirmary."

"I said I'm fine."

"No shit," Xu said through a bitter laugh. "You went into a shock tha turned into a blind rage, killed the Garden proprietor," she added the last bit in a whisper just in case there was someone around before raising her voice again, "and you're trying to figure out what you feel about that. Sure Squall, you're perfectly fine."

"I don't need the infirmary."

"Like shit you don't. Don't look at me like that, I know you're not injured, any idiot could tell that just by looking at you."

"I'm not dealing with this right now."

Xu rolled her eyes and huffed a sigh. Deciding that she needed to be clearer, she pushed the younger SeeD against the railing with enough force to make her point, but not enough to force him over the edge. She was sorely tempted to do so, but she knew it wouldn't have done any good to let her own temper get the best of her. "And I'm not dealing with your _shit_," she hissed at him, "_especially _not after all the crap I've had to go through with Seifer when he was around. Now, unless you managed to hit your head somewhere between what happened to when we climbed into the elevator, you'd better remember that _I was there_, and I _know _what happened. You want to be left alone to thing, that's all well and good, but you'll draw a lot more attention to yourself then you'll ever want if you continue to walk around with the way you look."

Squall held her gaze with a glare of his own but she caught him shift his gaze towards his shirt. He thought he had been discrete but she knew he was finally beginning to get the picture. "So the less people who see you now, the better."

"I doubt going to the infirmary will help with that."

"True," Xu conceded, nodding thoughtfully before she dropped the bomb, "but I thought you wanted to speak to the Headmaster."

By the minute shift in his features, Xu knew she had his full attention. "I told him to go to the infirmary before going downstairs, and I spoke to him again while you and Rinoa were having your little shouting match. He said he wanted to see you as well and that I was to escort you. So, are you coming or aren't you?"

Squall did not reply, though when Xu sighed and released her grip on his arms before continuing on towards the infirmary, she noticed that he followed without objection or instruction. She refused to allow herself the opportunity to gloat over what she felt was a hollow victory, because there was just far too much going on that she herself did not understand.

Neither SeeD spoke to one another during the trip. Fortunately no one took that moment to emerge into the hallway and Xu was not forced to order them away from the sight of the gore on Squall's shirt. It was almost like everyone had gone into hibernation for this brief moment in time. While it was strange and almost suspicious, Xu was not complaining as their walk progressed without interruption. The only moment they were forced to stop at all was when they reached the doors to the infirmary. Normally they would spread open and allow those students who had injuries or questions for the good doctor access, but here they remained sealed steadfast, as though the infirmary had been shut down.

Xu remedied the obstacle by entering her security access code and the doors suddenly parted with a mechanical _whoosh_. As they proceeded forward, the Lieutenant noticed that Dr. Kadowaki was standing in full view of the door and had turned her attention towards it. Seconds later, the clipboard that had been held firmly and secure in her grasp fell with a clatter to the floor, the elder woman's eyes wide and fixed in their direction as the door closed shut behind them. Xu resisted the urge to slap herself in the forehead, though Squall lacked the same restraint.

"What the hell happened to you _this _time?" The doctor yelled as she looked between Squall and Xu.

The Lieutenant couldn't blame the elder woman. The last time Squall had been 'escorted' to the infirmary was due to a head injury sustained when he'd been training (off Garden grounds long before curfew had been lifted) with Seifer. The scar he had between his eyes was evidence of that escapade.

Xu was about to answer her, but Squall beat her to it. "The blood's not mine."

Dr. Kadowaki looked shocked and confused and, unfortunately, Xu didn't have the luxury of time to explain to her what had happened. "It's a very long story. But right now, we need to see Headmaster Kramer."

The doctor looked very much like she wanted to object, but movement from behind caught not only her attention but Xu's as well. Headmaster Kramer had pulled back the curtain that cordoned off the cubicle sized room that housed the patients, putting Dr. Kadowaki between to two groups. But he looked very different than normal. For starters, his vest was inconspicuous in its absence and his hair was unkempt, like he had just rolled out of bed. There was still that hopelessness Xu had spotted earlier radiating off his entire being rather than the self-confidence she was used to seeing emanate from him. In short, he looked like a mess.

It made Xu realize that something must have happened with Norg before she'd become involved, and she wasn't just thinking about Squall's involvement. The evidence that his earlier meeting had had ill effects on him was evident in the way the elder man held himself, like that of a man who had been defeated in his field of expertise. It was a vast difference to the man she had spoken with outside the elevator, the man who had still seemed composed though harried. It made Xu realize she had absolutely no idea what was going on.

It made her want answers all the more.

"It's alright, Kokoro," the Headmaster said, diverting the doctor's attention to him. "I was informed that they would be stopping by."

"It can't wait?" Dr. Kadowaki asked stubbornly as she folded her arms across her chest. She didn't look at all convinced that this was a good idea.

"Unfortunately, it cannot."

"Are you sure?"

"As you can see, I've stopped crying."

Xu frowned at the admission, knowing it wasn't like him to openly admit something like that, particularly with an audience. Headmaster Kramer had always been a proud man, keeping negative emotions within closed doors and only allowing the students and faculty to see him as he wanted them to. Beside her, Squall looked startled at the admission as well, though she couldn't tell for sure since his scowl was still there. Her only sign was the slight widening of the eyes and the lessening of that scowl.

Dr. Kadowaki still looked like she needed convincing, but then she frowned almost uncertainly before speaking through an exasperated sounding sigh. "Well… alright, if you're absolutely sure." She turned towards them and nodded reluctantly. "Just take it easy with him, okay? He's got a lot on his mind."

The doctor then turned around and made her way to the adjacent office before closing the door with a _click _that sounded louder than it should have been. Xu assumed it was to give them some privacy. Looking back to Squall, she wondered if maybe she should call the doctor back out to give her own professional analysis of the youth but then the Headmaster was gesturing for them to follow him and soon they found themselves within the allotted room the elder man had emerged from. Judging by the way the blankets were hanging off the bed, Headmaster Kramer had been laying down previously, lending strength to Xu's earlier assessment.

She waited patiently for him to sit down before she started into the situation but he surprised her when he stood standing against the wall that separated the cubicle. She was about to ask about his behaviour when he suddenly gestured towards the bed. "Sit down."

Xu openly stared at the elder man, suddenly deciding that the doctor had been right to be hesitant. Headmaster Kramer was really out of it, because this was the strangest thing she had ever heard him tell her to do. She had the distinct feeling that this was going to be far from the last time this happened, least of all during this conversation. "Sir?" She asked hesitantly, looking back towards the doctor's office and wondering if it was wise to not include her in this conversation.

"Please sit down, Xu," the Headmaster said gently.

Sighing uncertainly, Xu awkwardly did as told, finding a spot on the bed amidst the mussed up blankets and taking her seat. Headmaster Kramer smiled encouragingly, though the elder woman felt much like a student who was late to her instructor's class and currently held the attention of her peers. But then the elder man's gaze turned onto the other room's occupant before making the gesture again. "You too, Squall."

Finally, the scowl that had been all but permanently fixed into the features of the youth had vanished, replaced by a look of unguarded shock. Eyebrows shot up beneath dark banks, eyes widened all the more and he hesitated, looking between both Lieutenant and Headmaster before finally doing as told. Xu moved a little to offer him as much room as possible and soon after both were sitting side by side, exchanging awkward glances between one another with Xu shrugging in response.

Having expected the Headmaster to sit down after that, she was surprised to find the man _still _standing. Soon after, her surprise gave way to shock because she recognized the stance he had just taken. She recognized it because she had been the recipient of numerous SeeD operatives assuming that very stance they when they were prepared to give their report.

It felt _wrong _for the Headmaster – who had been in charge of this Garden for as long as it had been running – to be submitting a report to _them. _ Xu couldn't help but wonder what it was he was up to and decided it wouldn't be long until they found out.

She was right, because Headmaster Kramer seemed to feel that he had kept them waiting long enough. "From what you told me over the radio, something has happened with Norg. I can already guess what that is, so there's no need to tell me."

Xu had been about to jump in and explain the situation when it had been dismissed so seemingly casually. She knew Squall wouldn't have done so, offering him a look from the corner of her eye. Still, the dismissal didn't sit well with her. While Squall was practically wearing the evidence, it didn't mean the situation didn't need looking into. "Sir?" She prompted, hoping he would explain himself.

Headmaster Kramer seemed to get the message. "No doubt you are both wondering about the role reversal we have here," he gestured outward, spreading his arms to indicate the whole room. "This is my way of making up for the secrets I've been forced to keep up until now, even if it's only a start." He turned his focus onto Xu, which was barely discernable with by the proximity the two SeeDs sat. "While there are details that you are aware of, there are some rather large and blaring… holes… that have no doubt brought you concern. I appreciate the fact that you have no questioned me about those holes to this point."

"I just thought you would tell me if and when I needed to know," Xu said awkwardly.

"Nevertheless, as the Garden's Lieutenant, you had every right to know what I have kept hidden and I apologize for keeping you out of the loop.

"Squall," the Headmaster said, turning his attention towards the youth in question, "you are here because of your involvement in the recent… situation, and I'm not just talking about Norg. This involves the mission in Deling City as a whole."

Squall made no movement that he understood and, being so close to him, Xu could see in his eyes that this statement baffled him. It baffled her too, because she knew from what Rinoa had told her that the raven-haired girl and Zell had been there as well. It made no sense to her that they weren't here either.

Headmaster Kramer cleared his throat awkwardly for a moment before redirecting towards the Lieutenant. "Xu, if you would please make sure that the door to the infirmary is sealed. I don't wish to be disturbed. Dr. Kadowaki should have the keys."

Xu nodded in response once as she rose to her feet. She knew what the Headmaster was up to. It didn't take a genius to know that there was something far bigger taking place and that somehow Squall was involved. Whether the younger SeeD knew this or not was still up in the air, but she had always suspected that there was a reason for the rushed prerequisite on the day of the Field Exam whereas, under normal circumstances, any students who had yet to complete the prerequisite on the day of the examination would have automatically been disqualified from participating without prejudice. No instructor in their right mind would have volunteered for the rush job. But she'd kept her opinions to herself, knowing that the Headmaster would let her know if it had anything to do with her.

She had no hard feelings towards being excused on some little errand like a secretary. The look on the Headmaster's face was a calculating one at that, one that he would use when dealing with disciplinary matters. Xu had seem him with that expression many times when he'd been dealing with Seifer in the past, for example, and other cadets whose misconduct had been enough to warrant a sit in with the Headmaster. He was no pushover by any stretch of the imagination and she knew he knew what he was doing.

So she left the small room to meet with the doctor. While she would most certainly take her time in locking up the infirmary, it wasn't exactly something that would take her a long time to accomplish. She could only hope that the Headmaster utilized his time wisely.

* * *

When Headmaster Kramer fell silent, Squall had assumed he was just waiting for the Lieutenant to return before he started talking. But then the elder man surprised the SeeD as he simply continued without her. Squall guessed he'd just been collecting his thoughts before he began his explanation.

_An explanation that's long overdue_,he mused inwardly.

"First and foremost," Headmaster Kramer began. He had removed his glasses and was wiping them clean on his shirt as he spoke. "We really need to deal with the incident that too place downstairs. I have opted to have the Lieutenant occupied so that we could speak privately for a moment. Do you have anything to say in your defence?"

Squall frowned thoughtfully, realizing that he couldn't even remember what had happened in the first place. It was all just a blur to him, from Norg's ramblings to climbing down off the pod and walking to the elevator. But the shirt he wore and the state he was in was enough evidence to lend strength to everyone else's testimony. Even without what everyone was telling him, he could've connected the dots.

He knew there had been better ways to have handled the situation, but the whole thing had spiralled out of control and things were as they were as a result. There was no point in offering excuses that wouldn't change the outcome, it would only be a waste of breath. Was he sorry it happened? Absolutely not. That fact alone should have terrified him. It had only been recently where he'd killed someone for the first time, but that had been about self-preservation. It hadn't been personal, he hadn't allowed it to become personal. Killing Norg had been. But instead of being terrified however, he just felt numb, empty. It wasn't a feeling he was comfortable with, that it was a sign that he was getting used to this life, to his actions. But there was no excuse for it, and he would take on the consequences without argument. "No, sir."

"Of course not," the Headmaster said from under a breath. Squall looked up, startled by the remark, but he found that the elder man was wearing the ghost of what looked to be a grin. Squall's confusion must have betrayed him, because the Headmaster seemed to take notice of it. "Did you know that everyone has a fall-back excuse when one is in trouble? Most tend to set the blame away from themselves, implicating others in the process. _Your_ automatic response to trouble is to take it on yourself, and that has been _exactly _what you've done for as long as you've been a part of the Garden, without fail. I can even understand the mindset. You were in the wrong and there was no excuse for it."

The Headmaster raised his glasses into the light, inspecting his cleaning job on them as he continued to speak. "_That _is the marking of a good soldier, to know when to debrief rather than offer excuses and point fingers. However, Xu would not have demanded that the pair of you meet with me, here of all places, were there not a sufficient reason. You would have already been written up for the incident in question," Squall noticed how the Headmaster was avoiding mentioning the 'incident' by name, "and I would have been notified of the situation much later. Now, that tells me that what happened downstairs is something more than just the… _unfortunate_ happenings of Master Norg. It makes me think that the attack was provoked, that it _could _have been a matter of self-defence. I'm right, aren't I?"

Squall didn't offer an answer because, judging by the look the Headmaster was giving him, he already knew it. "As I thought," Headmaster Kramer sighed lightly before returning his glasses to their place atop the bridge of his nose. A second later, Xu returned to the room, placing the keys on the nightstand next to the bed. A moment later, Headmaster Kramer turned a severe look in her direction and Xu awkwardly returned to her seated position on the bed before he finally lifted it. "I've just spoken with Squall about the incident in question."

The look on Xu's features betrayed her surprise, though Squall could hardly call what had just happened a talk between the two, specifically since he hadn't said more than two words in regards to it. Still he found it disarming that the Headmaster could gain so much insight even when he was the only one who was speaking.

Headmaster Kramer, oblivious to his thoughts, simply continued. "Despite who's at fault in this situation, what would normally happen is the perpetrator would be detained before being summoned before the councilmen of the Garden where judgement would take place."

Squall knew who the Headmaster was referring to. In the forefront, Garden was run by the Headmaster and the Garden Master. The former was in charge of running the student body and ensuring order while the latter drudged up the financial paperwork. However, in the background, there was a council of seven that was even higher up than Headmaster Kramer and Norg. Any important decision garnering crimes within the Garden or any decision that would have any kind of backlash that would affect the Garden was to be made by them. It was almost like Garden was a form of government itself.

But what concerned him at this moment was the Headmaster's use of the word 'normally'. Chancing a sideways glance he saw that Xu was equally confused and, realizing that he wasn't alone in his thoughts, he decided to voice them. "Sir?"

"But due to the current situation with the Sorceress," the Headmaster continued, "I would find it to be counterproductive to defer this incident to them at present time. We have bigger issues at stake and cannot afford to waste time on a single mishap."

"Sir, it was more than just a 'mishap'," Squall argued as he rose to his feet. "I _killed _the Garden Proprietor, a figurehead at this Garden. I'm prepared to receive any form of punishment-"

"The only reason the Garden council would become involved would be if I notified them of the situation," Headmaster Kramer explained calmly. "And I have no intention of doing so at this moment."

"So you're covering up for me," Squall summarized bitterly, "just like you did before with Seifer?"

Xu was looking between the pair as though she was watching a match of table tennis, shifting her head back and forth to watch the speaker, though now her eyes were on the Headmaster, no doubt wondering how he would respond. It wasn't a secret how the Lieutenant felt about the former cadet. Eventually, the Headmaster responded by nodding. "But," he added, "the only difference between the two instances is that I now have a valid reason for withholding this information. As we know, there has been very limited contact with the Sorceress since Deling's speech in Timber. Unlike Norg, however, I was _glad _when your team returned to the Garden unscathed from the Sorceress in Deling."

Squall frowned at this statement, wondering if the Headmaster would remain so confident once he learned what had happened on that mission, though the elder man didn't seem willing to allow him the opportunity to argue. "But it is _because _your team survived the exchange in Deling City that I am shielding you now. I assure you, if Norg's death had been the result anyone else who had been on your team I would have done the same thing as I am doing now _because _of how important and significant surviving the Sorceress is."

Squall was very quickly discovering that instead of getting answers he was stuck with more questions. It was still all so confusing and he couldn't help but feel that there was a veil draped over his head, obscuring the truth from his eyes, keeping him from understanding. "I still don't understand…"

"And I will get into that so that you _do _understand," the Headmaster remarked gently before smiling not unkindly at him. "Your question will be answered, Squall, this I promise you. Please, sit down. There is more of which I need to discuss with the both of you."

There was more he wanted to say, more that he wanted answered but he had a feeling that now was not the time, no matter how much he wanted it to be. So finally, after a moment's hesitation, Squall sank back down into the mattress that was serving as his seat and simply waited for the Headmaster to continue. "First," Headmaster Kramer began once more, "regarding the Sorceress. What do you know about her?"

"That she's your wife," Squall deadpanned bitterly, unable to help himself.

The Headmaster stopped suddenly, looking shocked by the sudden remark and, beside him, Xu's eyes widened as she looked between the two. "Wait, _what_? The Sorceress is your _wife_? When did _this _happen?"

When no one answered her, she whirled around to face Squall. "Who told you that?"

"Norg," Squall said with a verbal shrug.

At the admission, Xu seemed to relax, almost looking relieved. "Oh, you had me going there for a second. Norg will say _anything _to paint the Headmaster in a bad light. You need to take everything he says with a grain of-"

"It's true."

Xu snapped her head back in the direction of the Headmaster so fast Squall thought it might break off her neck. She appeared not to have expected the confirmation and, honestly, neither had Squall. Regardless, the Headmaster continued through a sigh that didn't seem so much exasperated as it seemed whimsical. "Edea and I have been married for a long time."

Xu seemed to have misplaced her voice, because she opened her mouth to say something and then closed it thoughtfully before opening it once again, each time no words formed and no sound was made. Squall had never seen the Lieutenant like this before, but he'd had enough shocks for one day to be affected by anymore, which was why he was the first to recover. "Was she a Sorceress when you married her?"

"Yes, she was. Before you ask, I knew this when I proposed to her. Edea felt it was important for me to know what I was getting into. But I don't believe she expected for me to ask again even when she'd finished explaining." The Headmaster grinned reminiscently, like he was secretly enjoying a fond memory. "Edea has been a Sorceress since childhood. She didn't know life as anything else, but she didn't allow the power or the knowledge to stop her from living her life. In fact, she only ever used her powers to help others. We were both very happy, living together and working together…"

Squall raised an eyebrow at this statement but wasn't left waiting for an elaboration. "In fact, building the Garden and creating SeeD was all _her _idea."

That thought surprised _him _into a speechless stupor. Edea was the one to create SeeD in the first place? If that was the case, then why was she trying to destroy them?

"I don't know where or even how she formed the idea," Headmaster Kramer was explaining, "but one day she began to talk about building the Garden and training SeeD to defend the world from Sorceresses. She thought the idea was a strange one and laughed it off, but I became obsessed with it. To say I ran wild with the idea itself would be a great understatement.

"Sadly, this is where Norg fits into the equation. We met while I was trying to gather the funds to build the Garden and he became interested in the idea of SeeD. We hit it off almost right away and got right down to work as partners. It was because of his funding that the Garden was built rather quickly, but we found out even quicker that it would cost even more to run the Garden without government aid. Because of this ideal of being self-sufficient, we were in danger of scrapping the plan before it ever came to fruition.

"It was Norg's idea to dispatch SeeD as a means of supporting ourselves, to utilize the world's protectors into a group who would work to protect whoever was willing to pay us for our services. I didn't much care for the ideal of SeeD becoming mercenaries for hire, but I couldn't argue with the results. We began to receive a substantial amount of revenue for our efforts and it served as a means of further training SeeD into the force we have become today.

"Sadly, Norg had his own plans for SeeD it would seem. In the end, he was really only in on the operation to make more gil. Soon, SeeDs real purpose was covered up and the Garden began to change. Slowly I began to lose control, though it really is my fault in the end for not taking a stand. I was always thinking about what was best for the Garden and I couldn't have been further from my intentions."

"The _real _purpose of the Garden?" Squall echoed, suddenly reminded of all the times in the past where the Headmaster had seemingly wanted to say something, but having been thwarted by the Garden Faculty who seemed to be everywhere the elder man was. It had happened at least twice to his knowledge, but who knew how many times the Headmaster had wanted to say something only to be stopped by the hooded figures or warned away by Norg himself?

But now there were no Garden Faculty around to stop him. Now there was nothing to keep him from just outright saying it, except his own hesitation. Squall decided that he wouldn't give the elder man the chance to back out of this and instead launched his question without pause. "What _is _the real purpose?"

Beside him, Xu tensed up. He could tell that she was just as curious as he was. The Headmaster sighed heavily, as though he were about to relieve himself of the weight, the _burden_ of the secret he had been forced to keep for _years_. Closing his eyes, he breathed in before opening them and releasing the air he had filled his lungs with. There was a brief moment of hesitation, not to wonder should he speak, but to let the knowledge sink in, the knowledge that the wait was finally over.

Finally, Headmaster Kramer composed himself, a sign that he was now ready to answer the question. "SeeD's real purpose… is to kill the Sorceress."

* * *

_So many changes to go over... considering that this particular bit of story takes maybe five minutes to pass._

_Well, I did mention that the aftermath of Norg's death was going to have huge implications to the story... but I didn't mention it was going to complicate matters between the characters. Now before I get into my reasons, I would just like to put out there that my mother (who isn't a gamer and has thus never played this game) was screaming at Rinoa to stop acting so childishly, and I'm betting that many of you are doing the same. I wrote Rinoa like that on purpose, specifically because I hated the way she reacted (or lack of reacted anyway) to Norg's death. She complains once and then it becomes the part of the story that is never spoken of again. Of course Norg's name comes up, but his demise kind of goes away and is swept beneath a rug. If anyone reading this story is familiar with the website 'thatguywiththeglasses. com', then you'd know that it is somewhat comparable to the 'Big Lipped Aligator' moment where, once the moment is done, no one ever mentions it again. _

_But I digress. When I first decided to write this novelization, I resolved that I would change that. I can't claim that I've read every single retelling of this game on the internet, but I can say that the ones I have read or skimmed have glossed over this part of the game the same way that Square seemed to excuse it (though I have to admit it wasn't nearly as bad). And I doubt that Squall would take kindly to everyone ignoring this one glaring fault (and I'm fairly certain that it's safe to say Squall was ultimately responsible for Norg's death). It kind of helps that I had the shouting match between Squall and Rinoa all planned out since after I wrote the very first chapter of Rise of the Tyrant - I was anticipating reaching this moment for a very long time._

_Moving on, Cid's actions in the infirmary are also something I had planned for a while. I'd always pictured him acting as though he were issuing a report while relating information about Norg, especially seeing as how he'd been forced into silence for so long. I wanted to truly convey the Headmaster's regret for not being strong enough to stand up and tell everyone what he had originally planned of SeeD (not to mention all those people who had no idea what they were signing up for when they enlisted) and this seemed right to me. Though originally, I had envisioned that Squall would be the lone recipiant of this action but I eventually settled on both him and Xu being present, seeing as how the Garden Lieutenant has proven that she deserves to know the truth as well. And considering her rank, it wouldn't seem right to just dis-include her in the revelation._

_Hum... guess there wasn't nearly as much change in this chapter as I had initially thought. _


	29. Chapter XXVII: A Face from the Past

**Chapter XXVII:**  
**A Face from the Past**

* * *

He waited for a sign. Any sign really, he wasn't particularly picky. Any sign that would tell him that this was some sad joke or some strange dream he was about to awaken from was a welcome one. Even if the idea of the Headmaster joking at a time like this was a very lengthy stretch of the imagination. But the elder man just stood there, his hands clasped behind his back, so sign of deception or mirth in his features whatsoever, and the very sight itself told him that this was very real.

"But… you just said…" Xu said, sounding as confused as he felt. A look in her direction revealed that she had paled even more so than she had moments before.

"Yes, I'm well aware of what I have told you," Headmaster Kramer said patiently. There was no hint or ghost of a smile this time. There were no little quirks in his features that would betray his words. The techniques he had learned throughout his training to discern deception from honesty weren't picking up anything. "Edea is my wife. She's the mastermind behind SeeD and the Garden. She is, in fact, a Sorceress, and Garden's true purpose is to kill Sorceresses. It does sound rather unorthodox and absurd in the light of things. That was my worry when she first expressed this idea to me. In fact, my main concern was that, one day, SeeD would be forced to fight her. She laughed and told me it would never happen but…" he sighed heavily, looking even older. "Well, it seems we can't predict the future."

"What about the missions we've been sent on up until now?" Squall asked. The Headmaster's explanation had given him time to find his voice.

"Those can also be considered training, much like the training to obtain SeeDship was," Headmaster Kramer explained. "Preparation in itself for the time when SeeD is needed to stop the Sorceress. Unfortunately, that day has come far sooner that I'd ever expected, with the opponent being the very last person I would have ever hoped. Because Edea has become a major threat to the world, SeeD's real mission has finally begun. And, because of Norg, no one aside from the three of us has any knowledge of this."

Squall and Xu both exchanged glances between one another. When put into this perspective, this news suddenly felt very heavy on his shoulders. The levity of the situation rooted itself deep into him even as the Headmaster continued, coiling his stomach into knots that were more than just uncomfortably. "I will be announcing this information the moment the Public Address system has been repaired. It is a significant announcement and I need everyone's undivided attention, something that will be gained should the announcement commence upon the system's completion."

The SeeD knew exactly why this explanation sounded so familiar and his thoughts returned to Timber, to the operation the Forest Owls half-assed to be the first to broadcast over radios waves upon learning Deling's true purpose in the occupied city. Even Deling had thought to take advantage of the uniqueness of his own announcement. Still, as he looked between both Headmaster and Lieutenant, he couldn't help but wonder what made him privileged enough to shoulder this information. Headmaster Kramer had explained it was due to his involvement in Deling and the encounter with Norg, but he couldn't help but wonder what put him in a different category than the rest of the Garden. Zell and Rinoa had also been present so, using the Headmaster's own logic, shouldn't _they _have been present for this explanation as well?"

Squall frowned in the realization that the explanation, while providing answers, presented even more questions. Did the Headmaster know why the Sorceress was targeting SeeD? Did he know what she was after? Somehow though, as he watched the Headmaster's movements, he realized the elder man couldn't possibly know the answers any more than he did. He was certain that if Headmaster Kramer knew anything he would have presented them already.

But Xu managed to present a more appropriate question. "So the Sorceress launched missiles at the Gardens, has probably already taken control of Galbadia Garden and we barely managed to escape her attack with the shirts on our backs. What's our next move, exactly?"

The Headmaster chuckled lightly. "Well first we have to stop moving soon, but unfortunately it seems no one understands how to work the controls to the float system. I'll have to utilise personnel who have some kind of background in machinery to be able to work it out, but in the end all we can do is hope that things return to normal."

It appeared to him as though the discussion was coming to a close. Squall doubted either of them would be able to answer any more of his questions and he rose to his feet in preparation to leave. Before he could get very far, Headmaster Kramer called him back. "There's a bin of clean clothes sitting on the ground beside the door. Before you leave us, I would suggest cleaning up a bit, or else you may raise concern within the Garden."

Once again Squall was vividly reminded of the state he was in as he looked down and spied the gore on his shirt, noticing the dried blood on his right hand. He was betting that there was more of the stuff on places he couldn't immediately see, not without a mirror anyway. He nodded his head at the suggestion before Xu picked up the keys she'd deposited on the nightstand and tossed them in the SeeD's direction. Squall caught them effortlessly before heading towards the aforementioned bin, his thoughts whirling around his head like a maelstrom. As much as he really just wanted to cool his head, he knew that they were right and his appearance would only garner him more attention than he could ever possibly want. He knew he should probably shower, but his stomach rumbled furiously, reminding him that he had yet to eat anything in the last couple of days. It'd be a good idea to fill his stomach before he opted to go to the Training Centre.

* * *

It wasn't long after she'd given Squall the set of keys that locked the door before she heard the mechanical _whoosh_ of the object as it allowed the SeeD leave to exit. But she still opted to wait a full minute before broaching the subject that had been nagging at her for the last month. Never one to talk about someone behind their backs, she still had questions that needed answering and she had a feeling the Headmaster would be less cooperative if Squall had still been present. It had been out of respect and not any ill will that she had waited until the younger SeeD had left before she chose to ambush her superior.

"Sir," Xu said and Headmaster Kramer gave her his full attention. "There's still something that you haven't made clear to me."

He waited for her to continue, to which she did. "I have an understanding about your position, particularly given the details about the Sorceress… your wife. And, given the chain of command, I know what's expected of me, given these circumstances."

"Alright," the elder man commented mildly. She saw it as an attempt to keep her on subject.

"But I'm not entirely sure what role Squall has to play in all of this."

Headmaster Kramer looked mildly intrigued, though Xu had been expecting to throw him off guard. "What makes you think he even _has _a role?" he asked simply.

Xu could tell by the way he was holding himself, by the expression on his features, that he wasn't simply joking around or stringing her along. He just seemed genuinely curious to know what she knew before he answered her question. Xu didn't exactly feel comfortable explaining her theory in the infirmary, but she wasn't exactly in any position to move the conversation to an alternate location. She started it and she didn't exactly have any footing to turn around and tell the elder man to just forget it, so she sighed deeply before she pressed on. "Prior to this Field Exam, we've _never _under any circumstances allowed any student in the history of the Garden made the trip to the Fire Cavern and complete the prerequisite on the day of the scheduled exam. Before this year, instructors and faculty would have frowned upon even the notion of it, and all students who had not completely the Fire Cavern test would have been automatically disqualified and left to study hall. Yet Squall was permitted this leniency in order to ensure his participation in the exam."

The Headmaster gave no indication that she was mistaken and she took it as a cue to move on. "Then, two weeks after the fact, you send him and his team – three rookie SeeD members in all who haven't cleared their three months' probation period yet – to Timber on a mission that _Seifer _of all people set up…"

She hesitated at the severe look she received from the elder man and decided that a tirade on the former cadet was not called for given the situation. So she cleared her throat, swallowing her words at the same time, during the awkward silence that fell between them. "And then you sent Fujin and Raijin to Timber to hand off documents for a new mission."

"Indeed I did," the Headmaster commented lightly.

"But Squall's team was the _only _team stationed in Timber at the time," Xu said as she frowned slightly. "So it's almost as though the mission specs for the assassination team were specifically drawn up _for _that specific team."

The Headmaster held her curious stare for what felt like the longest second before he finally looked away and the Lieutenant allowed herself a grim smile, knowing that she had at least proven her point. "So, how exactly does Squall play into this situation?"

Headmaster Kramer offered her a congratulatory smile, but he surprised her when he turned his back to her and began to leave the infirmary. Xu rose to her feet in response, her words seemingly stopping him in his tracks. "You're not going to answer the question?"

The elder man turned to regard her, his grin widening marginally. "And why would I do that when you will have the answer soon enough?"

And he left her behind to mull over those words.

* * *

It had taken a lot of work, a lot of talking and a lot of luck but eventually Zell had been able to convince Rinoa to leave the hall in front of the elevator. By the time the Lieutenant had disappeared around the corner towards the infirmary Rinoa's voice had reached both a pitch and volume that no one could ignore. People were starting to come out from the direction of the library to investigate the noise. While the brawler had been initially surprised that none of the Garden Faculty had emerged from downstairs to break up the show, he decided that they had opted to follow the Lieutenant's orders and stay put. Unfortunately, this left Zell on his own to handle the resistance fighter because the disciplinary committee (or what was left of it anyway) had jumped ship before the Garden went mobile.

He'd managed to convince Rinoa that food would do them both some good, which was why they were currently in the cafeteria, sitting at a table that was in the centre of the room but well enough out of the way that they weren't the immediate focus of everyone's attention. Zell was picking apathetically at his food, the knowledge of having missed the hotdog rush earlier still in the back of his mind, though not the focal point of his focus. Rinoa was sitting across from him, fuming with her arms across her chest. She was no longer wearing the jacket from the student uniform she had been loaned, but she still wore the navy-blue skirt and tank top that went with it. Zell assumed the only reason she hadn't thrown them off as violently as she had the jacket was the knowledge of where her street clothes were currently.

Along the way to the cafeteria, Rinoa hadn't held back even a little bit in her condemnation of SeeD and how they were being trained. More than once Zell was forced to shush her so the students who had been walking throughout the halls didn't hear what she was saying. Because the majority of the Garden's populace were cadets training to joining SeeD, the comments and her tirade would have caused a dispute or worse to happen should she have been overheard.

Despite having agreed that food might do them both some good, Rinoa had yet to even touch her sandwich, instead opting to sit rigid with a scowl creasing her features. Zell decided she was still pissed about the exchange and wouldn't have put it past her to start throwing things in a tantrum. He'd seen the scratches on Irvine's face back at the prison and he'd hadn't needed to ask questions about their origin. From the stories he'd heard from the rest of the Forest Owls, her nails were legendary.

Zell sighed loudly as he removed the tomatoes and pickles from beneath the slices of bread that made up his own sandwich and moved them onto the side of his plate. He hated it when the cafeteria ladies made the sandwiches in advance despite knowing that he was a picky eater. Most of his food intake consisted of beef, fish, chicken and hotdogs. Taking in the other side of his sandwich, he grimaced as he saw the mustard that had been slapped on beneath the lettuce and decided grimly that he really did need to eat something.

"So…" he said as he replaced the top of his sandwich and pulled it in close to take a bite. "What do you think happened to the others?"

It was a desperate attempt at conversation and he knew it. But he couldn't take Rinoa scowling at him anymore, it made him feel like she was throwing blame on him when he hadn't even done anything wrong. "I mean, _obviously _they did _something _to the launch. How else do you explain those missiles missing us and everything? We would've been dead if they hadn't."

The point he was making was recycled. He'd talk to Rinoa and the Lieutenant about this after the chaos in the Garden had finally died down, after Squall had told them both about the broadcast. He hoped that maybe rehashing the discussion would give her something else to focus on. Taking another bite of his lunch, he forced himself to swallow despite the sour tangy taste of mustard on his tongue. Between chewing his food, he continued with the one-sided conversation. "And besides, we haven't _exactly _heard anything about the Galbadians killing people working with the Gardens, right? _Specifically _people who messed up the missile launch."

Rinoa huffed in frustration, blowing her bangs out of her face in the process, only for them to drop right back into place. "Wasn't there some kind of broadcast about the Missile Base blowing up?" she asked, sounding bored of the topic.

"Well, yeah…" Zell said defensively, despite being grateful that she'd actually joined in on the conversation. "But if the Galbadians really did find Selphie and the others, don't you think they'd have broadcast it instead of being all in the dark about it? _Especially _if they'd, you know, been killed in the explosion. If there was anything _left, _o'course."

He sighed sheepishly, realizing that he was talking in circles. Not only that but the subject was depressing. They hadn't heard word from Selphie's team at all since splitting up in the Dingo Desert. Even more depression was the thought of the three bodies confirmed in the rubble. What Zell said was true, there was a chance they could have been someone else's bodies, but unless they were identified there was a chance it could have been their teammates.

He was worried about the others so much that it made his stomach clench almost painfully. Despite having only just met her, Selphie had passed the field exam with him and, given the train wreck that it had been their first time in the field, one did not forget that experience easily. She could be annoying at times but he'd come to depend on her as a comrade. He had known Quistis for a little while, though they tended to hang around in different social circles. Despite not having been a student of hers during the last year, he'd come to respect her advice and her knowledge. The fact that she could spew fire and blast missiles out of her hands was also cool to him. Irvine was a dick through and through, but even he had proven himself when he'd busted them out of the prison and volunteered to go on what had been looked at as a suicide mission. He'd been more than just a little helpful back at the crazy fucked-up tomb the Galbadian General had sent them to.

Zell had known that loss would be a huge part of the job when he'd first signed up. He knew that people died on missions every day, that a good friend might say goodbye for the very last time, never to return. He had been trained to deal with it, but it didn't make it suck any less. Privately, a small part of him wondered if Rinoa was right about SeeD and their day-to-day life. She had told them she though their life of following orders even if it meant they could potentially die had been sad, almost pitiable. He had all too-easily jumped in to argue the point at the time, but now with half their team missing or worse he felt less compelled to argue to the point.

He could tell by the scowl on Rinoa's face that she was wondering if they even cared, if they had become so desensitized that the loss of life just seemed like a regular occurrence. Zell frowned to himself, knowing this to be false. He at least would care if word came back that their deaths had been confirmed, though along with the personal devastation he would feel, he would also know that the Garden would be forced to depend on the remaining three members of the group who had emerged unscathed (relatively) from the Sorceress, though of the three Zell had not been a participant in that ill-fated fight. They were the only ones with any real knowledge of how the Sorceress fought, of what her goals were, but it would be useless if the Garden refused to get involved, despite being obvious targets.

It made him sad, but it also made him angry. Here there was, a real life Sorceress hell bent on world domination and there was fuck all they could do about it.

He took another bite of his sandwich and was about to attempt to change the subject when he caught sight of Rinoa's scowl deepening. Zell swallowed hard, wondering what it was he'd done to piss her off when he realized she wasn't looking at him. Turning marginally around in his seat, he whirled back around almost as quickly, dropping his sandwich and slapping himself in the forehead with an exasperated sigh.

Despite how secluded they were, the table he had picked for them had the best view of the whole cafeteria. They could see who was coming and going without being noticed and the angle itself was perfect for picking out people who were standing in line. Zell had spotted another SeeD member he'd seen patrolling the library sitting near the front as he'd been joking around with his buddies who had playfully accused him of cutting in line. He had also spotted Alicia at the other end of the cafeteria sitting amongst her friends from the library committee. She'd turned red and ducked down beneath the table when he'd waved hello to her in passing and he chalked it up to her just being a weird and shy girl.

But neither Alicia or the patrolling SeeD and their friends were the issue. The person who had just entered the cafeteria and joined the line to the front counter was the sole target of Rinoa's glare.

Zell had wondered what had happened to Squall after he'd left the pair behind and whether or not the Lieutenant had been able to catch him. He still didn't have the answer to that, but he did notice that Squall had at least had the sense to change his shirt and clean up some. The white shirt had been replaced with a black on, the shoulders emblazoned with the SeeD emblem.

The brawler assumed that he was here to get some food, and he could only imagine how he'd been able to continue for so long without it. The guy had been practically comatose for two days straight (or so he was under the impression). If it had been him, he'd have long since broken into the cafeteria and probably killed himself choking back at least a week's amount of food.

But his main concern at the moment was that Rinoa was slowly rising up out of her seat, the expression on her features clearly indicating that she was ready and raring for round two. Zell reached over and pressed against her shoulders, forcing her back down into her seat. "_Don't_," he stressed, looking around the cafeteria and hoping that no one's attention was diverted their way. "C'mon Rinoa. Not here."

Rinoa's gaze was still focused in the Squall's direction who, for his part, had either not seen her or didn't care enough to indicate that he had. He didn't spare her so much as a glance as he stepped forward, his wait growing progressively shorter. Soon he was at the front of the line, ordering his food and stepping aside once the simple action had taken place. Eventually, Rinoa reluctantly sat back down into her chair, her scowl deepening all the more the longer her glare lingered in his direction. After about a minute, her wrinkled her nose, as though having just gotten a whiff of some horrible smell. "How can he possible _eat _after what he's done," she abonished in a hissed whisper.

Zell grimaced, though this time he could not blame it on the tangy mustard that coated his sandwich. All his efforts at calming her down seemed to have torpedoed the moment the elder SeeD had entered the room. He picked up his abandoned sandwich, putting the bread to his lips as he said, "A guy's gotta eat, right?"

It appeared to be the wrong thing to say, because he suddenly found himself to be the recipient of her death glare and he winced in response, holding his hands up – sandwich and all – in his defence. "Hey, ya gotta admit it's only natural. The guy's been out of it for two days straight. The Lieutenant probably ordered him to get some food in his stomach or something, otherwise…"

He let the sentence trail off, realizing he had been about to admit that Squall would have gone off to the Training Centre. Given the circumstances and the reason for Rinoa's sour mood, the comment would have just added more fuel to the fire. He wasn't about to get blamed for helping that inferno.

"It _still_ makes me sick to my stomach watching him," Rinoa huffed as she leaned back into her chair, seemingly not noticing the unfinished sentence. "All of this time I thought SeeD just followed orders blindly. How wrong was I? He wasn't even _ordered _to kill that guy."

"If you stop and think about it for a sec, it _was _self-defence," Zell added hesitantly.

"But _Norg_wasn't doing anything!" Rinoa protested. "It was the Garden Faculty people who were trying to kill us!"

"Because _Norg _ordered it," Zell finished before sighing in frustration. By this time, Squall had already collected his food and had chosen a table close to the exit. Zell assumed it was because he wanted to visit the Training Centre as soon as possible. For a guy so unreadable, Squall was really kind of predictable. It was a small wonder Quistis could read him like a book.

But just after he'd sat down and started to eat, the Lieutenant came barrelling into the cafeteria. Judging by how she looked around Zell was willing to bet she wasn't about ready to join the lunch line or to demand a hotdog or two (he was forced to swallow this notion with the bite of his sandwich to keep himself from laughing outright from the mental image). Knowing that the elder woman was never in a rush unless she was on business, he figured the Headmaster had her running some kind of errand. What exactly, he had no clue.

After a second of scanning the lunchroom, the irritated Lieutenant turned on her heels to leave, only to stop when she spotted Squall halfway through his own sandwich. His questions of who she could be looking for were answered as she closed the distance between them and seemingly started talking to him in whispered tones. Zell couldn't hear what was said – the distance between his table and the Squad leader's was rather wide – but seconds later, Squall was following the Lieutenant out of the cafeteria, the rest of his lunch forgotten.

Zell frowned thoughtfully, wondering what the Headmaster could possibly want now. Maybe he was wrong, maybe the Lieutenant _hadn't _actually caught up to Squall and had only now just managed to find him. Somehow, he wasn't sure. The reluctant way Squall had risen from his seat seemed more exasperated than annoyed, like he was wondering what she wanted now. Maybe it was on a totally unrelated topic and, if so, the brawler wondered what. He made a mental note to ask him about it later, despite knowing that getting anything from Squall was like pulling teeth.

"I hope she throws the book at him," he heard Rinoa mutter under her breath.

He didn't know what made that statement push him past the line of endurance, but whatever the reason he was at the end of his patience. Rinoa and Squall could be pissed off at each other for as long as they felt like it, but Zell would be _damned _if he was dragged in to mediate full time. It was bad enough trying to break up their shouting match earlier on, but he just didn't have the energy for it. "Look, I get it. You're not happy with what happened downstairs or with the way it was handled. I totally get it, no one's happy about it. But you gotta face facts. Norg ordered his goons to _kill _us. If we hadn't fought back, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation 'cuz it's very unlikely that they woulda stopped unless _he'd _told 'em to."

"It still doesn't make it right."

"I'm not saying that it _does_," Zell protested, feeling like he was arguing with a brick wall. "It sucks that the blowhard had to die, and it sucks that Squall went out of his way to make it happen. But it happened, it's done. If Norg hadn't bought the far, we sure would have."

"The lives of the many do _not _outweigh the lives of the few," Rinoa pointed out stubbornly. "Murder is wrong, it's as simple as that."

"So what were we trying to do in Deling City?" Zell snapped heatedly before he shook his head and took in a deep calming breath. He refused to get angry over this. "Last time I checked, we were trying to kill the Sorceress, and _she _didn't do anything to us… at the time. Last I checked, that's the same thing. Just _try _telling me that it's any different."

Surprisingly, Rinoa slammed her hands atop the surface of the table causing it to shake under the strain. "You know what? I should have _known _you would take _his _side. You SeeDs always stick together, is that it? Through thick and thin, no matter what the _client _thinks about what you're doing. Just get the job done at all costs, regardless of the consequences or the conscience. Have I hit the nail on the head?"

"Dammit Rinoa, I'm not gonna pick a fight with you!" Zell exclaimed, every close to shouting. He looked around, trying to keep his cool so he didn't garner any unwanted attention but Rinoa's stubbornness was making it really hard to fight with his temper. "I'm not saying that it's about right or wrong! Moral conscience has _nothing _to do with this. It's about our different standpoints. _You're _a civilian, we're not."

"And what the hell does _that _have to do with anything?" Rinoa asked heatedly, clearly offended.

"It means that you see things differently from us," Zell answered. "If you see a ditch by the side of the road you're driving along, you think it's some kind of land mass, or a place to sit around and hang out. _We _see that same ditch, and we see it totally different. To us, it's a hiding spot for a potential ambush, waiting to jeopardize our mission objective, or to take us out before can harm the enemy's cause. Or, it's a potential place to ditch the body of some guy we killed, either a target or an interloper, to keep them out of sight of their comrades while we complete our objective. Fact of the matter is, that's the way we've trained, and we can't afford to see things like a civilian because it _will _get us all killed in the end. So if _you _wanna continue to use SeeD to get Timber its independence, then it's gonna hafta be _you _who takes the higher road and learn to think like us, because if you can't then we're just gonna continue to have issues."

He didn't give her a chance to argue any further and rose up from his chair, almost knocking it back with the force of the action. He turned his back on the raven-haired girl's shocked expression and, after tossing his sandwich into the nearby garbage, he stormed out of the cafeteria and headed for the Training Centre. Suddenly, he wasn't so keen on filling his stomach anymore.

* * *

As he followed after the Lieutenant and boarded the elevator, he couldn't help but wonder what the Headmaster wanted from him now, and why it couldn't have been handled when they were speaking in the infirmary. All the elder SeeD had told him when he'd asked was that something had happened and that he was needed. Hadn't he been through enough for one day? He just wanted to be left alone.

It seemed like that was just asking too much.

The Lieutenant pressed the button for the second floor once the doors to the elevator had closed shut and soon afterwards the mechanical box shifted before rising up to take them to their destination. No words were exchanged and neither occupant offered so much as a glance to one another and soon they pulled to a stop, the door opening and allowing them access to the floor beyond. The Lieutenant set a brisk pace that Squall had no trouble keeping up with, bypassing the classrooms as they proceeded down the hall until they reached a door at the very end. They passed through it and ascended up the swerving steps that led out onto a balcony on the outside of the building.

Waiting for them on the balcony were three individuals along with the Headmaster. The three strangers – two guys and one girl – were dressed in white uniforms, the pants tucked into matching boots and scarves draped over their shoulders, cloth headbands keeping hair off their foreheads. Squall had to wonder if they were overheated in this weather, but kept the question to himself, deciding that it was not important. Alongside the Garden was another vessel that looked as though it had been tethered to the balcony's railing, though there was no climbing equipment in sight. Squall had to wonder if they had climbed the side of the building without the aid of such tools or if they had simply jumped the length.

"Squall," Headmaster Kramer said as he offered the youth an apologetic look. The three figures beside him exchanged minute glances between one another. "I know this is rather unprecedented but thank you for coming."

_I wasn't exactly offered a choice,_ Squall thought bitterly but said nothing in reply.

"Allow me to introduce you," the Headmaster continued before gesturing to the three strangers, who were now providing the Lieutenant and Squall with their undivided attention. "Priscilla," the girl with short purple hair, "Jinn," the guy with brown hair, "and Cecil," the other guy with black hair. They all nodded in greeting as the Headmaster recited their names. "Everyone, this is Squall Leonhart and Lieutenant Angela Xu."

Squall took a sideward glance at the Lieutenant, but noticed that she did not respond verbally or outwardly. Her first name was rarely ever used or even addressed. In fact, very few people even knew it. The only reason he was unsurprised was because he had been present when Seifer who, in his moment of genius, had decided to taunt the elder woman in the halls one day by calling her by her first name. It was the first and only time he had ever done so.

Despite this, Squall noticed how the trio had tensed when the Headmaster had spoken _his _name, not hers. Deciding to take catalogue the reaction for later, he nodded once to indicate he had been introduced, followed shortly by the Lieutenant.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves formally," Cecil said. By the way he held himself, he seemed to be the group's leader. "We are the White SeeDs working under the guidance of the Sorceress, Edea Kramer."

Instantly Squall and the Lieutenant reacted. Despite not having expected the declaration, they had been trained well enough to respond accordingly to such a sudden attack. Squall was without weapon but the Lieutenant was not, and withdrew both glocks in a smooth and fluid action. Before she could raise them, however, Headmaster Kramer raised his arms out in a signal for them both to stop. "It's alright. Both of you, stand at ease. They're not here to start a fight."

"Indeed, we come in peace," Cecil reassured, raising his hands in a sign of surrender. His comrades did the same. "We're unarmed, as you can see. We only wish to talk and mean you no harm."

"It's alright Cecil. I should have told them this earlier," Headmaster Kramer apologized. Both Squall and the Lieutenant exchanged puzzled glances between one another.

"How much do these two know?" Cecil asked the Headmaster.

"They know enough of the situation," the elder man assured. "Now tell me, Cecil. Why have you come all this way?"

At the question, Cecil's expression turned grim. "We fear that the situation has grown graver than we would like," he explained. "I know we had an arrangement, Headmaster, and I apologize for our sudden intrusion, but we must ask to take Ellone back with us."

Squall furrowed his brows and frowned in response to this. Did Cecil mean Ellone from the dream world? The little four year old girl that was hanging out with Laguna in Winhill? She was here, in the Garden? How long had she been under their nose and what could the White SeeDs possibly want with her?"

"I understand completely," the Headmaster continued, unfazed at all by this revelation, "and I can respect your decision. Ellone may not understand, but it is for her safety. It's because Galbadia has targeted the Gardens, isn't it?"

"Yessir," Cecil admitted. "Unfortunately, Edea has acted far faster than any of us thought she would. As a result, we cannot afford to risk Ellone's safety."

"Very well then, we won't keep you," the Headmaster said through a sigh before turning to face Squall. "You know Ellone, don't you Squall? I would like for you and Xu to find her and bring her back here with you."

Squall frowned, wondering if this was why he had been called up here in the first place and, if so, why the Headmaster thought he would know who this girl was. Outside of the dream world, he'd never seen or met anyone with that name in his life.

"It _was _you who was in the Training Centre that night, wasn't it?" Cecil asked suddenly, startling the SeeD from his thoughts. "The one who protected Ellone from the monster?"

At suddenly he felt like someone had just dumped a tub of ice cold water on him. He remembered that night well, because it was one of the things that had plagued his mind constantly since joining SeeD. If what Cecil was saying was true, then the strange girl in the infirmary was Ellone. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? Could Ellone be responsible for what was happening to them? And if so, did that mean the dream world actually existed?

Taking in Cecil's appearance, he suddenly recognized him as one of the two people who had taken the girl away once the monsters had been dealt with. It seemed more likely that the other youth might recognized him from that night, though it was rather strange that Squall hadn't remembered him to begin with. He decided it had to be a result of everything he had been through the last month, the stress and everything he had learned up until this point had been the focal point of his mind. Pinpointing one face from one brief instance when one's mind was full of other pressing matters was almost impossible in comparison.

"Squall?" Headmaster Kramer asked, startling Squall from his thoughts. "Is there a problem?"

Squall shook himself of the thought, deciding that once he found Ellone he would address the situation appropriately before handing her off to these people. To make sure they understood that there was no problem, he fell into a salute and set his features into a neutral expression. "No, sir."

"Alright. And please hurry."

It wasn't difficult to figure out where to find Ellone. If it really was the girl from the infirmary, then she had already told him she would be waiting in the library. She had seemed quite comfortable sitting along that windowsill reading to her hearts content, and it was doubtful that she would have gone far from there since their last meeting. God, it had felt like a lifetime ago that he'd found her and they'd started talking.

His only issue was the knowledge that she had told him to come back when he remembered something. Between her insinuations and the Headmaster's assumptions, people somehow got it in their heads that they knew each other, but that couldn't be the case. She was plain and simple looking enough to get lost in the crowd, but somehow he had the distinct impression that he wouldn't have forgotten someone like her. Hell, the mystery that seemed to envelope her had been one of the many things on his mind since he'd first seen her.

He found himself not wanting to disappoint her, but unfortunately it had to be done, he had his orders. Almost instantly an image of her disappointed expression formed into his head, a sight that was very difficult to shake away, one that left a hollowness in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't possibly explain. He didn't know why it unsettled him to upset this girl when he couldn't give a rats ass about doing the same to anyone else, and he most certainly was not looking forward to proving her suspicions false when she saw him again.

When the elevator stopped on the first floor, Squall made his way directly to the library, bypassing the front desk and making his way to the backroom where he had last seen her. Sure enough, she was right where he had left her, though there were a stack of books that had been added to her collection since he had last seen her. It couldn't have been that long since they'd talked, could it? Maybe she was just a fast reader.

Like what had happened before, she looked up and turned around to face him when he was only a few feet away. The sight unnerved him, because he had a feeling she was not trained in combat and yet he had a difficult time sneaking up on her (not that it had been his intention). She looked mildly surprised to see him again, but he could sense that she was glad. The small smile that stretched the width of her mouth was another indicator and that hollow feeling intensified, making him feel sick. The only difference between this meeting and the last was that there was no Rinoa to mess things up.

"Yes, Squall?" She prompted politely, folding her hands into her lap.

Finding himself unnecessarily nervous, Squall swallowed the breath he had taken, knowing that there was no point in dragging her anywhere until he at least confirmed his suspicions. If it turned out that he had jumped to conclusions and made an assumption that was both embarrassing and time consuming, it would not bode well. "Is your name Ellone, by any chance?"

She looked at him in shock before nodding her head almost enthusiastically, her smile widening marginally with the false hope he had given her. He almost groaned as he realized this, but there was no time to set her straight. He had very limited time as it was and he shoved away the surprise that he had been right, that this was _actually _happening. "You're Ellone?" She nodded once more. "_The _Ellone?"

Instead of nodding a third time, Ellone simply giggled. "You make it sound like I'm famous or something."

_What the hell is going on_? Squall couldn't help but think. _If Ellone really exists, does this mean that Laguna does too? Is the dream world real_? It took some difficulty, but he managed to compose himself, though he found himself at a loss for words initially. Finally, he settled on one of the million questions that were running about his head. "Do you know a man named Laguna Loire?"

He almost hoped that she would say no, that she would ask if who the bumbling idiot from the dream world was supposed to be, but the girl simply turned away, her smile turning sad. "Yes, I do," she confirmed. "I really love Uncle Laguna. I miss him so much."

Again forced to compose himself, he allowed himself a moment to let it all sink in, that there was something more to the dream world that none of them had even scratched the surface of, and this was his chance to get those answers. He knew the White SeeDs were waiting for him, but dammit they could wait. He had to know the truth. "Then what is it that we're experiencing," he asked forcefully, his voice louder than what he'd intended. "The dream world, Laguna Loire? With Raine and you, all of it, everything? What exactly is it? Are you behind it? How are you doing this?"

Ellone's gaze was still fixed at the carpeted floor but somehow Squall had the sense that she was staring through it, that something else had captured her attention. She didn't answer right away, instead looking guilty and ashamed, for what he had no clue. But after a moment of silence that felt like it had stretched on for eternity, Ellone finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Squall. It's complicated."

"Then make it simple."

"It's not that easy," she protested, turning back to look at him, her eyes imploring for him to understand, to believe. She couldn't hold up to his inquiring stare and so she lowered her head once more. "I… I have this power. The dream world, as you call it… it's about the past."

"So we've been experiencing the past?" Squall asked in confusion. Her answer hadn't helped him, instead it just confused him. "We've been watching the _past _like it was some old movie? How are you doing that?"

"It's just as I said," Ellone explained simply, as if that was it. "I have a power, and that is the reason you're being sent to the dream world. I… can't explain it very well. Even _I _don't understand everything about it."

Ellone rose to her feet slowly, carefully climbing down from the stool she had been seated at and smoothing out the dress she wore as she made the motion. Then she was approaching him and Squall found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to run. "People always say you can't change the past," Ellone said as she moved. "They say that it's the one thing that has _always _been set in stone. But what if you _could_? What if you could go back and undo a terrible wrong? What if you could go back and fix things to the way they were supposed to be, to allow them to progress as they always should have? Wouldn't you _want _to? Even if there was only a _slim _possibility that it would work, wouldn't you want to try? It'd be worth a try, wouldn't it?"

She sounded desperate as she stopped barely an inch away from him, standing shorter than him and forced to look up into his face. But then her tone sharpened, almost accusingly but that desperation was still there, a desperation so fierce it made him feel even more uneasy. "You _can't _tell me that you wouldn't. _Everyone _has things about their lives that they want to change, whether it's huge and important or insignificant and finite."

"But what does it have to do with me? Why does it _have _to be me?" Squall asked, feeling more confused and desperate himself. "Why get _me _involved in something like this? Don't you see that I have enough on my plate? That I have enough problems in my life to deal with to just be tossed someone else's and be expected to just fix them? _Why _does it _have _to be me?"

Ellone averted her gaze almost guiltily and clasped her hands together, her sights set to the floor once again. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly. He could barely hear her.

The silence that filled the air after the apology was stifling, so much so that Squall forced himself to speak. "Don't get me involved in your problems," he stressed, his voice shaking with his own desperation. He didn't want to be counted on, didn't want other people to rely on him. He didn't want to be responsible for letting others down, and it was just so much easier when he minded his own business and took care of himself, letting everyone else sort out their own problems, their own lives.

He stepped around Ellone, leaning against the windowsill she had been reading at minutes ago. His hands lay flat against the cool surface, the only sound reaching his ears was his own unsteady breathing, the only sight he beheld was the bangs of his hair obscuring his vision. He didn't nothing to change this though, instead willing the feeling in his stomach to go away, to force away the desperation that was almost consuming in its intensity.

"I'm sorry," Ellone said again. He didn't look back at her, didn't want to see that look on her face. "I'm so sorry…"

She sounded like she was trying hard not to cry and that ate him up inside, making him feel even worse. He clenched his hands into fists, his arms shaking from the pressure and the strain he put into the action.

"I'm sorry," Ellone continued to apologize. "But it has to be you. It just _has _to be! It can't be anyone else _but _you! I can't explain it right now, but you just have to understand…"

"_Don't count on me_!" Squall suddenly raised his voice, cutting her off from what she had been about to say. His voice shook, betraying his lack of resolution and he vowed he wouldn't lose it. Not here, not twice in one day. He couldn't… he _wouldn't _lose control again.

He heard footfalls approaching but he didn't look up to see who it was. If it was important they could identify themselves. "Squall? Are you alright?"

The voice belonged to the Lieutenant. He heard the uncertainty as she spoke and knew she was concerned about him losing it again. He hated himself, absolutely _hated _looking so weak in front of everyone else but he couldn't bring himself to regain his composure. It just didn't matter anymore. He remained silent, refusing to answer her, refusing to allow another chip in his demeanour that would betray all the stress and pain of everything he had been through this last month alone. As a result, they stood in that same thick and awkward silence before he heard the Lieutenant shatter it by speaking again. "Did you find Ellone?"

"_I'm _Ellone," Ellone said, her voice still shaking, sounding very close to the breaking point. He shut his eyes tight, willing away the guilt for causing her such distress and unable to fathom why he felt this way in the first place.

"Oh?" He heard the Lieutenant reply. Another shuffle of footfalls was heard from close by and suddenly the elder woman was speaking again. "It's okay, Shannon, I've got this."

As the cadet seemingly left the trio alone, he heard the Lieutenant explain to Ellone the situation, the very reason he had been sent down here to fetch her to begin with. Just when he thought they were going to leave him be, he sensed more than heard someone approach him from behind. He stayed motionless, hoping that that whichever of the two would just take the hint as it was. His wishes were not heeded and the person leaned in close. He realized it was Ellone only by the sound of her voice as she whispered softly to him. "Because… _you're _my only hope."

* * *

_Why do people depend on each other?_

It was a question that had plagued him for as long as he could remember. He supposed it was only human nature to want to reach out and connect with others, but he knew it was only a biological reason. The people you speak to, hang out with, sit with, eat with, learn with, train with, everything about it was just so short, so temporary so… _not _worth it. In the end, it didn't matter who the people around you were, only that you were on your own. You were _always _on your own. The people, no matter how close they claimed to be to you, would move on, go their separate ways and live their own individual lives, eventually forgetting about you, forgetting that you even existed. It was the nature of humans.

Squall knew this from first-hand experience. To the best of his knowledge, all of his life he'd been on his own, left to depend on himself rather than to ask for help from others. People always said words and phrases like 'I'll always be here' or 'if you ever need me, I'll be there', but that was all they were in the end, just pretty fanciful words used to make people feel better in the short term. In the end, there was no guarantee that they would stick around for any longer than they actually had to. People moved on, they expanded their horizons and left the things behind that held them back. That was all there was to it. It was a cynical thought, but it was the truth and, unfortunately, the truth wasn't always the easiest thing to swallow, to hear, to _understand_.

_Hell, I'll be the first one to admit that I'm here because of other people_.

He would be a fool _not _to. But that was in the past, when he had been a child and he couldn't control the situations and people who surrounded him and yet were not really there. He was seventeen years old now, and he had all the skills he needed to survive, to take care of himself. He didn't need anyone anymore.

After the confrontation in the library, Squall had waited until he was _positive _that both women had left before he retreated to his dormitory, skirting past the people who threaded the halls like masses, keeping his head down and avoiding any contact from the other students and SeeDs. He had given the day up as a loss, not even training appealed to him anymore. He just wanted this day to end, and so had locked himself in his room, curled up beneath the blankets and banished the day away like some horrid dream. It was the easy way out, he knew this, but he refused to deal with this anymore. It seemed the more he learned the less he understood, the more overwhelmed he felt. Nothing made sense anymore and still he felt like he was being thrown into the thick of it, expected to tread water and come away unscathed and better for it.

He knew Zell at least had a right to know what he'd learned, that the dream world was real and was caused by a young woman who seemingly couldn't let go of the past, but he wasn't in the right state of mind to deal with that obstacle, not yet. Right now, he just wanted to forget.

_It's not that simple,_ his thoughts rang in his mind, refusing to offer him the respite he so desperately wanted. _It's just not that simple_!

The words brought him back to the library, reminded him of Ellone's crazy explanation and he wondered reverently if he was crazy to believe it. Knowing didn't make him feel any better and he curled up so that his knees touched his chin, wrapping his arms protectively around his legs and hugging them close to his chest almost protectively.

_Someone,_ Squall mentally pleaded, _anyone, please. Just tell me what's going on. Make it all make sense._

_Someone_? The voice in the back of his mind was roused, pouncing on the desperation of his thoughts, turning them inside out and backwards, tossing them upside down until they were a jumbled mess. _So you can just depend on other people? The one thing you don't want to do_?

He didn't have an answer for that. He didn't want to depend on other people, how could he possibly do that after a lifetime of solitude? He was confused, horribly so. The questions mounted atop one another and any answer he could find produced more, multiplying like germs under a microscope, spreading the width until there was nothing but questions, questions that caused his head to ache and eyes to burn, making him want to scream at the unfairness of it all. All he wanted was a concrete solution, to make all the questions to stop.

He didn't know exactly how long he lay there, lamenting and wishing, willing there to be an answer that did exactly as he asked. All he knew was that, eventually, he closed his eyes and, for the moment at least, stopped thinking at all.

* * *

"I miss you…"

A little boy stood out on the front steps of a large stone building, the oversized shirt he wore clinging to his skin as it became soakingly damp from the rainfall. It was as if the heavens shared his pain and wept along with him, though he could no longer distinguish his own tears from the salt ran that fell in rivulets along his checks, that dripped off the tip of his nose and fell upon lips turned into a perpetual frown. Dark coloured locks of hair lay matted against his scalp, pressing against his forehead in a damp mess that he ignored.

It was chilling outside, a chill that had come with the rain, but he paid it no attention. He was so despaired by what had happened that nothing mattered to him anymore. He just stood there on the front stoop, staring out into the horizon that stretched on for miles and miles at a time. He just wanted to be alone for a while, alone in his grief. The other children didn't seem to understand, they were safe inside, nice and warm, playing with their toys in ignorant bliss despite the terrible loss they had suffered.

If they were going to pretend it never happened, then he didn't _want _them to understand him.

"I'm all alone now," he continued to speak though no one stood outside with him. He looked up into the sky, despite the stinging rain that insisted on pecking at his eyeballs. He brought a hand up to stave off the element, though it did not good, creeping through the cracks of his fingers and finding their way to the face they hid. The sky above was dark because of the rain clouds, the sun hidden away like some long lost toy locked inside a toy chest. The storm didn't look like it was going to end anytime soon and the ache that was in his chest throbbed along with it. "But I'm doing my best."

He tried to sound assuring, forcing himself to stand up straighter as though this would prove his statement to be true. He shoved his soaking wet and cold hands into pockets that stuck to his skin, not caring at all that he could potentially make himself sick the longer he stayed out in the harsh element. "I'll be okay without you," he assured, determined that he would follow through with the promise. "I'll learn to take care of myself."

* * *

_And so ends the Civil War arc. Not really much changed in this chapter, aside from the cafeteria scene between Zell and Rinoa (which I had fun writing, especially the part where Zell picks apart his sandwich), and the exchange at the second floor balcony (if anyone can tell me which Final Fantasies I 'borrowed' the names of the three White SeeDs from, they get a cookie!). The Library scene between Squall and Ellone was also tweaked so that it wasn't as clumsily executed as it was in the game (or at least, I found it to be clumsy anyway). And I'd already had it in mind to end it with the sequence before the next arc begins, but obviously I touched up on the dialogue a bit in order to add a sense of mystery. I know I figured it out right away because of the wording that was used, but that's just me. There's really not much else to say about these changes._

* * *

**Update -** _02/19/12 - Again I extended scenes and added more description whereas needed, specifically with the conversation between Ellone and Squall and the sequence at the end of this chapter. Added another 2k+ words to this chapter. I hope you guys don't hate me for the fluctuating lengths. _


	30. Chapter XXVIII: Cause and Effect

**Chapter XXVIII:**  
**Cause and Effect**

* * *

He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling mindlessly wondering just what the hell he was going to do. It seemed strange to him to just lie there and wonder. He had always been able to find something to do in the past, though he admitted to himself that he had been a student the majority of the time and that there was always some test to study for or homework to finish before the start of class. Given the events that had taken place over the course of the last month, he actually wished he was still a cadet, studying for the day where he would join the ranks of SeeD.

Life had been so much simpler back then.

A student's day normally began at six a.m., with everyone expected in class by seven. At that point, students would either sit in the halls either cramming for the test they failed to study for before first period started or attempting to finish one's homework before the bell. There were a vast number of reasons why this was a common day practice but the most notable reason had more to do with the Secret Area in the Training centre and spending all night there instead of doing what they were supposed to be doing. They would meander throughout the fifty-minute classes before lunch, where the rest of the day was usually spent with the athletic instructors who would usually take classes to the Training Centre for the afternoon. It was a fairly balanced system in Zell's mind, one that usually left the students exhausted and in desperate need of a shower. The rest of the afternoon was spent in either in self-study and very rarely with any free time, though the only exception to the rule applied to those who were involved in a committee, like the Library Committee. Students generally had the evenings to themselves, and curfew was set to eleven at night.

The cadets training to become SeeD did so for numerous reasons and, to their eyes, the pros outweighed the cons. For starters, they were free to do whatever they chose to do throughout the day (not having to drudge through homework and tests, though they did have to file the occasional report) unless they were on leave for a mission. Even though they were still on the same level as the students, these additional perks were enough of a status hike.

But this was not a normal day. Zell could tell from the sounds coming from the other side of his door. What stopped him from getting up was the knowledge that he had already investigated. Classes had been cancelled because of the catastrophe that was the Garden Feud and the uprooting of the Garden. The excitement had been so fierce at the time that it had been decided this way to prevent a stir from the students and instructors. To say that the students in particular were taking advantage of this time was a gross understatement, many of them found heading to the Training Centre, though Zell assumed that training was the furthest thing on their minds.

Two days had already gone by since Norg's death, four since the Garden left Balamb. It seemed that things were beginning to settle down and Zell expected that this break from classes wouldn't last that much longer, though he was starting to wonder about supplies. He'd opted to skip two meals in the last couple of days if only because he was concerned the Garden wouldn't have enough supplies to last them more than a week at best, particularly with the number of people who had remained despite their best efforts to evacuate. Still, a large number managed to escape and were probably waiting in town, scratching their heads and wondering just what the fuck happened. Most of his friends were still students and Zell would miss them when they had to turn their focus back to studying but he really wanted things to settle down so they could start worrying about the Sorceress and what to do with her.

One of the things he wanted to change was the fact that Squall and Rinoa were _still _not on speaking terms. It didn't surprise him given their history, knowing that Rinoa had a knack for giving her opinion even when it wasn't the best time for it and, like Seifer, somehow managed to set off the Squad leader (_former Squad leader_, Zell amended mentally) when no one else could. It happened in Timber, in the forest on the way to Galbadia Garden and, now, in the hall outside the elevator. It was particularly the latest shouting match that had raised the bar (or lowered it, depending on how one chose to see it).

Thinking about it now, Zell realized he hadn't actually seen Squall at all since his last sighting in the cafeteria. He wondered what the Lieutenant could have possibly wanted to talk to him about, and regretted not actually going to investigate. Instead, he had found himself with a lot of pent up steam that he'd been forced to relieve fighting monsters in the training centre, and after he'd cooled down some he'd decided that finding out the reason hadn't been worth it. Even now the only thing that stopped him from pursuing the matter was the knowledge that any question or 'consistent nagging' on his part would ensure the elder SeeD's silence.

He was still having trouble reminding himself that Squall was no longer the Squad leader, though most of the time the lapse was a mental one. Constantly he would tell himself that, like Squall had said, they weren't in Timber anymore and, with the threat of the Sorceress looming over their heads, it was very unlikely the mission would pick up anytime soon anyway. It came as both a blessing and a relief to know this. As much as he liked Zone and Watts (they had grown on him after about a day), the way they operated left something to be desired. Rinoa hadn't been much better, and he was hoping that she would at least consider bringing back what she had seen and witnessed to her team and try to make their resistance faction at least a considerable threat to the Galbadian forces who occupied Timber.

Thinking about Rinoa made him realize his other dilemma. Since his outburst in the cafeteria and her assumption that all SeeDs stuck together, Rinoa was giving him the silent treatment. He had noticed right away the next time he saw her that she had changed back into the civilian clothes she had worn for the majority of their journey (he didn't dare call it an adventure, or else he might just start making comparisons with the video games he would play whenever he had the spare time). From the sounds of it, she was also refusing any and all additional pieces of clothing offered to her. He supposed she wanted to keep apart from SeeD, take as little from them as possible, considering the circumstances. He knew she was still angry at him because when he spotted her in the library once and went to make piece, she purposely kept her distance, refusing to even look in his direction. Somehow he could tell she knew he was there and in the end he'd given the attempt up for lost. He'd wait until she cooled down.

So with most of his friends busy with this and that and his comrades either disappeared or not speaking to him, this left him with a lack of normal activity and companionship. And without either of those two things, he was bored out of his mind, longing for something to do. Sparring alone in the Training Centre was only fun until you got tired of it, and it was just no fun hunting monsters all the time. What he _really _needed was a sparring partner, someone to vent and take out all his frustrations on (though he would never under any circumstances beat the ever living shit out of anyone else just because he had a chip on his shoulder. Experiences with Seifer in the past had steered him from this path long ago), even if it only helped in the short term.

Unfortunately, there really wasn't anything else to do aside from spar. Normally when boredom plagued him and he had some spare time, he would head off into town to visit his mother, but he couldn't exactly do that with the amount of ocean that stood between the two. He felt a pang of guilt just thinking about the woman, and knew she was probably worried sick about him and his whereabouts. Balamb Town would've known about the explosions and then the Garden flying off into the ocean, into territory unknown.

Sighing, Zell knew of one other person who could've used the distraction way more than himself, but he also knew it was going to be like pulling teeth to even find the guy, let alone get him to agree. Deciding that looking for him would at least give him something to do in the meantime, he got out of bed, pulled on his sweat clothes and left his dorm. The first place to look was obvious and soon he found himself standing in front of the door, his hand poised in the air in preparation to knock.

He wondered fleetingly to himself whether the other SeeD would even be here, that it was already quarter to nine in the morning and that Squall might otherwise be occupied with other things. The motion sensor didn't grant him immediate entrance inside the room, which meant Squall was either inside and didn't want to be disturbed (which was all of the time actually) or he wasn't even there. But then he shook himself of his worries and concerns, deciding that the worst case scenario was the elder SeeD didn't even answer or, if he did, Zell got the door slammed into his face for his efforts. At least he couldn't say he hadn't tried, and so he knocked on the flat surface with a light _tap_ that was still audible within.

He waited maybe a couple more seconds before realizing he'd received the former option. No one was coming to the door and he'd sure as hell gotten his answer. Either Squall was not here or he seriously wanted to be left alone. With an outward shrug, Zell started to turn and walk away when he heard a soft _click _that he would have not heard had the halls been filled with people. He turned back around to make sure he wasn't simply hearing things and was surprised when the door slid open, revealing a groggy-looking Squall standing on the opposite side, leaning against the door slightly.

Zell realized that he probably looked the definition of 'stunned speechless' but he didn't care as he openly stared at Squall in shock. This was the guy who always beat _everyone _to the Training Centre starting when they were old and trained enough to enter the place without SeeD or instructor escort and now he looked like he'd only just rolled out of bed to answer the door, staring at the brawler in, at first, looked like dull surprise before the expression shifted behind the mask of neutrality he commonly wore.

Despite his own surprise, the blonde fought the grin that threatened to spread the width of his face. Catching Squall off guard was a feat in itself, a sort of 'mini-victory'. But surprising the elder youth wasn't why he was here, so instead he offered a half-wave. "Yo man, haven't seen ya in a while. How's it goin'?"

Predictably, Squall didn't answer. He stood silently at the door waiting for the brawler to get to why he was there. Zell smiled good-naturedly, rubbing back of his head sheepishly as he shifted awkwardly. "Sorry for wakin' ya up and all… but… well… I've been thinkin' about a lot recently, since we haven't had much to do and everything. We're part of a team, right? But the thing is… we haven't exactly _talked _recently."

The blonde fighter winced awkwardly as he mentally berated himself for his phrasing. It sounded mushy and the air gave off a weird vibe the instant he said it. The whole line sounded like a cliché that came from some girl's chick flick. In turn, Squall gave him a dubious look and Zell realized what the other SeeD was about to say. "Don't say there's nothin' to say," he started before realizing that he'd opened himself up for a rebuttal.

_This is hard…_ he thought with another wince. He guessed he could take it as a good sign that Squall hadn't stepped back and shut the door in his face. At least, not yet. Talking about feelings was something that guys just didn't do. It was considered 'unmanly' or something and when the topic happened, the one who said it usually felt like his sexuality was under attack. He couldn't tell what Squall thought most of the time, and getting him to talk about anything was like pulling teeth and walking on eggshells. It was so frustrating how Squall never opened up, but that's what made him… well… Squall. "Well… okay, _I _don't have anything to say or anything like that, but…"

_Screw it_… the brawler thought in defeat as he sighed heavily. _If he wants to mope around, who'm I to stop him? _"Wanna go kick some monster ass in the Training Centre?" Zell asked awkwardly, hoping to change the subject. "We can even spar if we get bored of that. That is, if you want to…"

As soon as he said it, he knew what the answer was going to be. He didn't know _why _he had said it in the first place, maybe to cover up the awkwardness of his abandoned mission. If Squall moped about something, he tended to do so solitarily, much like he did everything else.

But just as he was about to give it up for lost, Squall finally spoke. "Sounds like a good idea, actually."

"Yeah, okay sure, I get it," Zell said with a verbal shrug. Squall furrowed his eyebrows in confusion but the brawler paid it no attention, instead turning around and starting back towards his own dorm. "Y'know, just thought it'd be a good idea to move around a little and get your mind off things. Lemme know if you change your mind, okay? Offer still stands."

"Zell, I said it was a good idea," Squall said in exasperation. By this point, Zell had already gone a few feet down the hall, and he stopped in his tracks at the statement before re-evaluating the conversation. Realizing that Squall was telling the truth, he whirled around in shock and disbelief.

"Dude, for _real_?" Zell asked, making sure that he was hearing right. "_Seriously_?"

"Seems like I'm not the only one who needs the distraction if you can't even focus on what I'm saying," Squall said with a shrug. It took the brawler a moment, but he suddenly realized it was a joke. An actual _joke. _Coming from a guy who's funny-bone was said to have disintegrated at birth or something.

_Does not computer…_ Zell couldn't help but wonder if body snatchers had paid Squall a visit since the last time he'd seen him and replaced him with a happier more talkative clone.

"Besides," Squall said as he rose from his leaning post against the threshold. All levity had been removed, a sign Zell took that the former Squad leader was back to normal. "There's something I need to talk to you about anyway."

At the announcement, Zell's thoughts immediately fell back to what he had been trying to talk about earlier. Squall seemed to trace where the brawler's thoughts were going, because he rolled his eyes and shook his head at the critical look Zell fixed him. "It's about the dream world, okay?"

"Really?" Zell asked in surprise. Ever since their strange trips to the dream world, no one had been able to figure out anything about it. "You found something out?"

Squall nodded in response before pointing back into his dorm. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

Zell nodded in dumbfounded shock as Squall allowed the door to slide close, barring him from looking in. Instead of pacing like he normally did, Zell found his thoughts wondering back to those strange (though entertaining) adventures with Laguna and his friends. They had seemed pointless at first, but the small connections between their world and the real one were uncanny. It had been his own viewing of Ward's days as a janitor that had led to their escape from the D-District prison, a fact he won't soon forget.

For the week long torture that was their stay at the prison south of Deling City, all that he and the others had talked about (when they weren't talking about escape attempts of course) was the reoccurrence of the dream world and what it all was supposed to mean. It made Zell wonder what could Squall have figured out that they hadn't been able to, but then he remembered that Squall normally lived inside his head anyway, and probably turned over far more stones than they could've hoped to accomplish.

True to his word, it only took the former Squad leader a few minutes before he emerged from his dorm wearing sweats and locked the door using his code. Next thing he knew, they were walking towards the ring that surrounded the elevators on their way to the Training Centre. The walk itself was done in an uncomfortable silence, or one that Zell assumed was uncomfortable anyway. Squall barely talked and he didn't seem bothered that no one was talking. As they emerged from the hall leading back to the dorms, Zell noticed that there were students emerging from the cafeteria and guessed that it was difficult from some people to break away from tradition.

By the time they started to turn, it looked like Squall had gathered himself enough to start talking, but the moment he opened his mouth he was cut off by a loud dinging noise that reverberated through the air, bouncing off walls and blasting back towards them. Everyone in the area was startled by the sound, if the startled yelps and shrieks weren't an indication, but it only took Zell a moment (once his heart rate was back to normal) to recognize it. His thoughts were enforced when he heard the familiar voice that spoke so clearly that it was like he was standing beside him. The public address system had finally been repaired.

_And it's about fucking time too, _he thought as he listened to the announcement play out.

* * *

For the last two days he had been anxious, nervous and trying not to show it as the repairs were handled. He had felt much like a child on the eve of his birthday, waiting for the time where he would be able to pounce upon his gifts, tearing the wrapping paper apart in his haste. Like that child, Cid had been unable to sleep at all when he heard the news that the PA had _finally_ been fixed. It had been so bad that by six am he had given it up for lost and went to his office to at least make the pretence of doing something productive.

The most he had managed to do within the last two and a half hours was to constantly look at the clock on his desk.

He was so eager to lift the weight off his shoulders, to tell the students and teachers and SeeDs the truth he had been forced to keep to himself for so long, that his resolve almost gave out several times. The only thing that stopped him at all was the knowledge that his news would be ill received if done so during the middle of the night. Knowing that several of the students were taking advantage of the lack of classes by sleeping in, he had opted to hold his restraint, but even that was beginning to wane.

It was roughly quarter to nine in the morning when he decided that he had waited long enough. He left the sanctity of his office and rode the lift to the bridge where he would activate the public address. While it was in working order, the only controls that were currently operational were accessible only by the bridge. The switchboard that normally connected it to the other offices on the third floor had not been completely repaired. Still, the Headmaster saw the travel from his office to his destination not as hindrance or a burden but as a change of scenery. He would at least be afforded a wonderful view of the outside.

With a sigh, he mentally reminded himself that they still had to do something about the bridge controls for the anti-gravitational unit. The Garden couldn't just continue to drift forever. Eventually, they would crash into something and Cid was not looking forward to the injuries and potential casualties they would sustain. Best case scenario was if they did crash beforehand it would be in an open field, where no one besides the ones inside the Garden would be affected.

"Hello everyone, and good morning," Cid began as he spoke clearly into the microphone. "I apologize for the early announcement and hope that I haven't disturbed many of you, but I'm happy to announce that the PA system is now fully operational. I'm excited to be back on the air again!"

He had added the last bit as an attempt at humour, if only to appease the students who would be less than impressed. Clearing his throat, he figured it'd be better to just press on instead of delay it. "That being said, I must confess that I have an important announcement to make..."

He trailed off as he caught sight of something in the window before him and his eyes widened in shock as the Garden neared a stationary structure up ahead. His earlier estimate was proving to come true far faster than he would have liked and, somehow, he was sure that the structure ahead was not bereft of people.

"Everyone," he shouted urgently, his gaze never straying from the window. "Grab onto the nearest securely fastened object as quickly as you can! The Garden is about crash! Repeat, the Garden is about to crash!"

* * *

The only sounds that permeated the calm morning were that of seagulls cawing and crowing, scavenging for food. Normally they wouldn't be this far out into the ocean and they wouldn't have in this case had it not been for the man-made structure in this particular location.

The calm roaring of the ocean as it liked against the supports that held the structure afloat, the noises made from the birds as they searched and circled for any scrap or morsel to feed their bellies, it was everything he liked about this place. Having woken up at the crack of dawn, he had gotten himself dressed, gathered up his gear and headed out onto the pier that overlooked the ocean for some early morning fishing. Of course that was what he did every morning, so it was more or less routine rather than the escape he made it out to be each day but, as the proverb stated, the early bird gets the worm.

He lived real close to the pier, probably far closer than most people would give him credit. The journey never took him long and because of the seclusion he didn't have very many visitors. He liked it that way. Being around people too long tended to make him feel smothered, almost claustrophobic. He would come out every now and again, just to make certain they knew he was still alive, but mostly he preferred to keep to himself.

With his trusty fishing line in tow and a bucket filled to the brim with bait, he had found his favourite fishing spot and sat down, put up an umbrella to keep the heat off his back and started fishing. But by the time the sun had begun to creep up over the horizon, his line had been cast, the float attached to it bobbing softly on the water's surface as it tempted the aquatic creatures with some good feasting. He'd already caught a few for the day, but that didn't mean he was about to stop anytime soon. It was the kind of job that required a lot of patience. It was a virtue, after all.

Still he was disappointed because he usually had way more fish by this time of day. He wondered if some kind of underwater predator was scaring them off and recast his bait in the hopes of catching something. He was so deep in his concentration that the sudden sound of exploding metal startled him so bad he almost fell off his perch. Wondering if some fool kid was flingin' rocks again, he turned in order to give 'em one-four when he caught sight of the cause. It was huge, painted white and blue with something near the top that kind of looked like it could've been windows.

And it was coming straight for him.

Still in shock, he slowly rose up onto his feet even as the monstrosity before him tore through the metal like a spit-ball through paper. At first, he couldn't tear his gaze from the destructive sight but eventually his survival instincts kicked in and he made to move out of the way. But then he felt a tug that drew his attention back to the fishing rod still clenched in his right hand. Worse still was the fact that the tugging was coming from a fish he had just landed.

Damn blasted timing. So _now_ the fish decide that they're hungry.

His pride as a fisherman overruled those survival instincts and he pulled at the line, determined to wriggle the damned fish before bolting to safety, but the fool critter was stubborn and refused to be reeled in. He pulled and pulled, trying to best the creature but he wasn't having an success when he finally turned towards the runaway structure that was barrelling a course right for him.

_Fuck it, _he thought as he abandoned his pride for the sake of his survival. He threw down the fishing line, turned tail and ran along the metal structure, his feet pounding against the hard surface. Behind him, the grinding rose in volume sounding like an explosion or a maelstrom forming from the still calm waters. The fisherman risked a glance behind him, only to catch sight of the sharp pillar which formed the crafts prow carving through the water like a knife through hot butter.

Panicked, the man felt his back straighten as he rushed even harder. The mesh platform constantly pinged and fizzed as bolts and support cables were torn from it by the interloping craft. Ahead, he could see the long ladder that would bring him to safety, but as he looked up at the object he knew he hadn't a hope in hell of reaching it in time. Behind him, the sounds of thunderous crashes was slowing, but there was no guarantee that the blasted thing wouldn't crush him first.

Swallowing his fear, the man looked to the water and witnessed a large sea bass reach the surface, flick itself through the air before delving back down into the depths. Despite his choice of residence, the man was not one for swimming but he saw that beyond the girders was a safe zone where the trawler ships were moored, ready for their sailing to the arctic waters for tuna-fish. He looked up one last time to see the craft weaving and swaying as the girders and supports desperately groaned and sagged beneath the impact, but then the runaway vessel had stopped in its tracks as suddenly as it had appeared to him, sending water crashing out and spraying in all directions like a tidal wave to add to its abrupt end.

He stood stark still as he watched the thing for any sign that it would start moving again, but once he was sure that it had stopped completely, he nodded once to himself before turning his attention back to where he had witnessed the surfacing bass - bait and all. Without a moment's hesitation, he performed a clumsy dive into the cold water below in pursuit.

* * *

She was suddenly tossed unceremoniously onto the ground with a startled shriek and found herself in a sprawled heap, here long dark hair flying over her eyes and obscuring her vision. She felt like she'd been hit by a Mac truck and was still trying to figure out just what the hell had happened.

Rising to her feet as she threw her hair out of the way, she noticed that she was not the sole casualty from the cause of her being propelled out of bed. The clothes - all emblazoned with the hideous SeeD symbol - were lying on the floor in a messy heap instead of atop the chair she had unceremoniously dumped them two days ago. The street clothes that had been hanging quite nicely on a hook along the wall were also lying in a pile on the floor in front of the closet. Aside from that, the room was virtually untouched by whatever it was that had awoken her, though only because there had not been anything else in the room to begin with.

Blowing the shorter strands of hair that often got in the way, Rinoa pulled herself back up onto the bed and - while sitting on her knees - looked out the window for any sign that would explain the disturbance. All she saw instead was the bright sky and the glittering expanse of ocean that surrounded them. It took her a moment further to realize that the clouds were moving in the slow rotation they normally would move if she was standing stationary, which meant that the Garden itself was no longer moving. It seemed that the rude awakening was the result of the building crashing into something. Grumbling under her breath, she was about to investigate further but stopped short of reaching the door as she was vividly reminded by the mirror along the wall that she was only wearing an oversized orange t-shirt. Like hell was she going to be caught out in public with her underwear all but exposed. So she grabbed a hold of her black shorts, slipped them on and stepped out into the hallway, wincing slightly as her bare feet came into contact with the cold hard linoleum floor.

The door slid closed behind her with no one standing in the threshold to get into the way and she folded her arms across her chest self-consciously as she looked around. The sounds of doors sliding open drew her attention to the other dorms, where sleepy-eyed students were also looking around in search of the cause for the sudden jarring. Most were rubbing parts of the human body that had probably been treated rather poorly with the Garden's sudden stop, though she found it almost difficult to feel sorry for them. As far as she was aware, no one had bothered to even try to figure out the controls that worked the machines responsible for the Garden's mobility in the first place, so they were just reaping what the sewed.

But with the lack of pity came the lack of satisfaction in knowing that the lapse of judgement had caused injury to the people within. She doubted the damage had been limited to the people inside their dorm rooms and it was more likely that people beyond the area had been more severely harmed. She herself was lucky that her spill from the bed hadn't broken her neck in the process, even if she thought it was such a far-fetched thing to happen.

Her first thought was to check on Squall and Zell, to make sure that they weren't hurt, and she'd just taken the first few steps to search for their dorms before she forced herself to stop. It was difficult to do, and she felt like an idiot when her suppressing the urge made it look like she had made a simple misstep instead. She reminded herself that she was still angry at them before their previous behaviour and that if she ran off to check on them it would simply give them the impression that she had forgiven them. The last thing she wanted to do was conjure up misconceptions, especially when they could be used against her in the end. Besides, they were old enough to take care of themselves without her having to worry about them and if they weren't, then that was their problem.

"_Everyone, please remain calm_," Cid's voice boomed, causing Rinoa to jump with a start. She looked around in search of the man before realizing that she was hearing him through the loud speaker. She vaguely remembered hearing his good morning greeting before she had grumbled something about manners and pulled the pillow over her head in an attempt to go back to sleep and drown out the noise. Now that she was awake and out of bed, she no longer had the means of ignoring the elder man (regardless of whether or not he was nice).

Still, she had to wonder where the Garden's priorities were if they were more concerned with fixing the PA system than they were with figure out how to steer the Garden and prevent this mess.

Oblivious to her thoughts or opinions, the Headmaster's voice continued to boom through the air, his voice betraying his concern and harried behaviour towards the crash. "_If you have received a mild injury during the jolt, report to the infirmary immediately to be check out. Any recipients of major injuries are to stay as you are. All medical staff are to spread out and give treatment to those who are in need. No one is permitted to leave the Garden under any circumstances until further notice._"

_Duh_, Rinoa thought as she arched an eyebrow, wondering just where the hell they would go if they tried. They were in the middle of the ocean and they had no way of knowing just what they hit, so really they couldn't even escape to the other collision party. Still, taking to heart the Headmaster's orders to report to the infirmary, Rinoa gave herself a once over, knowing that she felt fine but also knowing that damage could have happened even without her knowledge. She'd fallen out of a tree one time when she was little and hadn't realized she'd suffered a concussion until the General had attempted to keep her from falling asleep.

Deciding that it was probably better to be safe than it was to be sorry, Rinoa decided to follow Cid's instructions and started at a brisk walk to the infirmary. But what caused her to pause momentarily was the very moment when Cid called Xu and Squall up to his office. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she couldn't possibly understand why the former Squad leader was being summoned. What he could possibly offer to the situation, she had no clue.

* * *

As Squall made his way down the corridor past the Training Centre, Squall wondered just what he could possibly offer to the current situation that the Lieutenant couldn't. It was normal to contact her in emergency situations, particularly when it pertained to the welfare of the Garden, but he was just a greenling SeeD. There were far more experienced members of the mercenary force who would be more helpful than he could be.

As he passed through the halls, he took in the damages caused by the crash and couldn't help but wince at the sight, knowing that the cause was in response to the anti-gravitational unit that had been activated in the MD level. It seemed like no one had gotten around to figuring out the controls and it had cost them greatly. They could only hope that no one had been grievously hurt as a result.

He and Zell had both gotten off extremely lucky. They had grabbed a hold of the railing and braced their feet against the floor in a way that they only thing they received for their efforts was minor scuffing on the floor and the tugging of joints that kept their shoulders in their sockets. It was a miracle neither had sustained injury as a result. The people who had been standing nearby hadn't been near as lucky. Two of the trio of girls who normally stood just outside the infirmary had fallen into the water below and had to be fished out by a couple of SeeD members who had responded quicker than they had. The third girl had hit her head along the dormitory side and, last he had seen, was barely conscious from the injury. A kid who normally jogged throughout the halls of the Garden had had his legs thrown out from under him from the momentum and it had been his face that had broken his fall. Countless others who had been injured had either walked, limped or been dragged to the infirmary at the Headmaster's urging. The ones who had fallen into the second criteria were being watched closely by those who had miraculously emerged from the event unscathed.

He and Zell had been a part of the latter group when he and the Lieutenant had been summoned. Offering a shrug and a promise that they would talk later, Squall had had no choice but to head to the elevator that would take him up to the third floor. Had he waited even a moment longer, he might have witnessed a familiar raven-haired girl dressed in orange as she made her way to the infirmary, appearing in perfect health despite the disastrous events.

But Rinoa was the furthest thing from his mind as he mentally catalogued all the damages and injuries caused by the sudden collision, the sight making him feel guiltier and guiltier as he made the trip. He had been the one to activate the flight system and though he had barely been able to prevent a collision with Balamb town it seemed he had only delayed the inevitable. While the reminder stung, it served as a plausible explanation for his being summoned to the Headmaster, but even still it made little sense as he had already confessed to the elder man his lack of knowledge in the department. Zell would have been the more likely choice and yet, here he was.

When he finished scaling the steps that would lead to the elevator, he was joined by the Lieutenant. Briefly he considered asking why the Headmaster wanted to speak to him, but decided against it. It was very unlikely that the elder woman had any idea of the reason and, even if she did, he would find out soon enough anyway. So it was with a heavy sigh that he resigned himself to waiting until the Headmaster was ready to explain it to him himself.

He was doing a lot of that lately.

It didn't take long to reach the third floor and they were walking past the double doors that led into the office area. Soon after that, they reached the Headmaster's office, the door slid open granting them access and they were inside. Headmaster Kramer looked up at their entrance, the handle of the phone pressed against his ear. Their arrival seemed to be interrupting them.

"I'll have to call you back," the Headmaster said quickly before he hung up the phone. It was at this point that both Squall and the Lieutenant fell into a salute. The elder man nodded in acknowledgement and they both fell into an attentive state. "Thank you for coming, the both of you," he started cordially. "I'll try to be brief. Please bear with me."

Headmaster Kramer than hit a couple of keys on his keyboard and the screen on the side of the wall came to life. It no longer donned the SeeD symbol, but instead displayed a map of the world. The screen reminded Squall of the briefing his squad had received during the Field Exam in Dollet. It wasn't something he wanted to remember and he forced his mind back to the task at hand.

The image that was displayed on the screen zoomed in on specific coordinates and the square that had shown up just south of the continent of Balamb was blown up to take up the whole screen. "This is our current position," Headmaster Kramer explained as he gestured to the image. "As you are well aware, the Garden has been drifting south for the last four days now. It was inevitable that we would hit something, and unfortunately that happens to be the case today. I managed to trace the obstruction we crashed into, and it seems to be a structure that was built out of the horizon bridge years ago."

Squall knew of the Horizon Bridge. It had been built as a means of reaching Esthar from Galbadia long before the second Sorceress' War. It had stopped being used when Vinzer Deling was elected into the Galbadian government shortly after Esthar's disappearance.

"And according to quick research done through our geography," Headmaster Kramer was saying, "it seems that this structure is a city called Fisherman's Horizon."

"We crashed into this city?" The Lieutenant asked. Headmaster Kramer nodded in response.

"We've received casualties from the crash as well as extensive damages to the prow and along the port side of the Garden. In fact, we've actually become lodged into their city. Unfortunately, the repairs we will need will take some time to conduct, meaning we're stuck here for the time being. Furthermore, we have no idea of how much damage our Garden has caused to the citizens or to the city itself. Because the last thing we need, given the current circumstances, is to alienate ourselves from the citizens or any other political figures, I'm sending a small shore team to enter the city, speak with its officials and apologize for the damages and casualties we've caused them.

"That is why I've called you two," the Headmaster explained. "The Lieutenant will lead the party with Squall acting as her second."

Squall frowned slightly in response, not understanding why he was being handpicked to participate on this team. He had no background or experience when it came to the delicate dealings involved in political affairs and his track record thus far in regards to missions in general was less than on par. Worse was the strange feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach, the one that said there was far more to this mission, that it would eventually lead to something important. He was left to wonder about his presence in this matter all the more.

"Squall, is there a problem?" The Headmaster asked curiously, his voice drawing the SeeD from his thoughts and causing him to start suddenly.

Not having thought he had given the elder man any reason to believe there was a problem in the first place, Squall took a moment to compose himself before answering the question. "No, sir."

"Good," the Headmaster responded with a nod. "Now I'll need you to find Zell and Rinoa. I want them to accompany you both on this mission as support."

"Sir?" The Lieutenant objected before Squall was given the chance. "I can understand why Zell would be useful as muscle, but Rinoa? She's a client first off, and a civilian second. She shouldn't be made to be any more involved in our business than she currently is."

"Yes, I'll grant that she isn't SeeD," Headmaster Kramer agreed. "But she has already proven herself capable of handling herself in a fight. You yourself told me this."

The Lieutenant started, seemingly caught off guard by the reminder of what could only be assumed to have been her report. Even Squall had to admit the Headmaster had a point. As long as she was kept at range distance, Rinoa was most definitely an asset, just so long as no one expected her to fight on her own without any support or backup. He had learned this first hand.

"Furthermore, I also want her on this team as a courtesy to her and everything she has helped us accomplish thus far," the Headmaster continued. "She had put herself in harm's way when she didn't need to, and has earned our trust under the circumstances. And _because _she is not a SeeD member, she is not accustomed to our lifestyle, one of which is being cooped up in a solitary place for long stretches of time."

Squall almost snorted at that, wondering what the Headmaster would say were he to learn of Rinoa's upbringing with General Caraway, of how he had locked her away in rooms for long periods of time as both a means of controlling her and a means of keeping her out of his business. He supposed the current situation was at least a step up since she was free to roam around the building at her leisure, but it was a small wonder why she hadn't actually complained or protested at all.

Oblivious to Squall's thoughts on the matter, Headmaster Kramer pressed on. "The fresh air will do her some good, I believe, as it will with Zell. Besides, they are strictly there in the event the locals are hostile and you two are in need of backup. If all goes well, then there shouldn't be a problem."

_Yeah, right_,Squall thought as he forced his features to remain neutral. He and Rinoa had not said a word since their shouting match in front the elevator and, unfortunately, he knew Rinoa was childish enough to make matters worse as she emphasized this point with her attempts at the silent treatment or just baleful glares. It wouldn't bother him, but it would make the atmosphere as a whole awkward, far more awkward than it needed to be. He also knew that Zell would not put up with being the mediator between the pair and the Lieutenant sure as hell wouldn't put up with their shit.

But despite this fact, he kept his mouth shut and saluted the elder man when it was apparent he was being dismissed. He had been given an order and he would carry it out, no matter how uncomfortable it would be.

"Xu," the Headmaster said just as Squall was about to leave the room. "Before you go, I'd like to speak to you of a private matter."

From the corner of his eye, he spotted that the Lieutenant resumed her attentive stance. He couldn't tell if she was confused by this but he supposed it wasn't any of his business anyway and proceeded out the door.

"You may be seated," the Headmaster said just before the door slid shut, baring the pair of them from the young SeeD's view.

* * *

_Okay, I have to admit, this isn't one of my favourite chapters, but again this is lead up, and I find that I have a difficult time making build up seem interesting. Please bare with me here; I promise the next chapter will be much better._

_Now onto the changes. First and foremost I opted to utilize Zell's conversation with Squall rather than Rinoa's. One of the reasons obviously being the fact that Rinoa and Squall are not exactly on good terms at the moment. Zell's conversation also struck me as hilarious, as he's a guy who is attempting to get another guy to open up and talk about his feelings. I've always taken the abrupt change of topic as the brawler conceding defeat on getting Squall to open up and that's how I treated it here._

_Actually, I think that was about the only change I made, aside from the fact that Xu will be accompanying Squall's team into town. And even then, the Zell conversation does happen, so long as you don't have Rinoa or Quistis in your party (by default, that leaves only Irvine. This strikes me as odd since that would intail that the cowboy doesn't get a conversation with Squall at all). I've added Xu because... well, I'll leave that explanation for later._


	31. Chapter XXIX: Blood and Relief

**Chapter XXIX:**  
**Blood and Relief**

* * *

It had been surprising to find that the infirmary was full when she'd arrived, if only for the fact that the announcement had only just been made. She supposed that the staff and students were trained for these kind of emergencies but she still had to wonder if the cafeteria food was laced with steroids or something. All the cubicles that would normally house injured students were full, the curtains drawn up to give the individuals within some semblance of privacy. Throughout the waiting area, which Rinoa had earlier believed would've been big enough to house a large number of students, it suddenly appeared so much smaller with so many bodies filling the space. She had barely managed to find herself a seat on the strange uncomfortable looking bench that turned out to be extremely comfortable, though several others were forced to stand as they waited.

She had decided that since she didn't appear to be injured and was simply getting a once over that she would just wait until the more severely injured were treated (mostly scrapes, bruises and twisted ankles), but her patience had run its course after about five minutes as she wondered why the hell she had even bothered to come in the first place. Precaution was a good thing, but she felt completely fine, her stomach knotting in guilt at the thought that she might be wasting the doctor's time with needless worry. The only reason she continued to wait was the thought that something might have happened that she had yet to realize.

But it was when the first of the stretchers carrying the first of the people who had sustained serious injury that she had decided to abandon her cause and leave the infirmary, her stomach so tied in knots they twisted at her insides and made her feel physically ill. Once she was back in the hallway though, the feeling lessoned, as though the action had appeased some higher being and relief was her reward.

But the hallway was also far chillier than the infirmary which, due to the number of bodies taking up the space, had almost felt like a sauna in comparison. Rinoa shivered as she wrapped her arms across her midsection and willed her teeth not to chatter as she wondered why Garden couldn't circulate their heaters so that no one place was colder than the other. She didn't think it would kill them to at least try, but she found that it was a steady trend that many places suffered from. More than likely, it was to torture the people inside with varying degrees of temperatures so that no one was comfortable.

She was making her way past the cafeteria when her stomach suddenly protested loudly. Now that she was fully awake, the startling revelation that she was hungry, almost starving, was painfully obvious. This came to her as a mild surprise, though only due to the fact that she had skipped dinner the previous night. Rubbing her stomach idly with her left hand, Rinoa decided that making a quick detour before going back to bed might be a good idea.

Due to the fact that a large number of the Garden's population was currently fit inside the infirmary, she found that she didn't have to wait very long for her food. Rinoa ordered her food quickly before taking a seat at an empty table, nibbling at her food despite her appetite. Despite everything she thought about SeeD, the Garden really did seem like a nice place, if a little lonely if you didn't know anyone. She was tired of roaming the hallways all by herself, just waiting for something to happen. She wanted someone to talk to, but since she could count the number of people she knew on her one hand that was an issue.

She refused to speak to either Squall or Zell at the moment, still angry at them over the events of the last two days.

Alicia from the library was nice, but she was extremely shy and Rinoa found that shy people were really difficult to get to know. She could've at least attempted it, except for the fact that the younger girl worked in the library almost nonstop and while she found herself in that very area of the Garden she didn't want to disturb the pig-tailed youth while she was supposed to be working.

The Lieutenant was busy helping to run the Garden and Rinoa felt she would only be getting in the way if she tried to get to know the elder woman. Besides, Xu struck her as the abrupt kind of person and Rinoa found it very hard to talk to those types of people as well.

Fujin and Raijin would've been nice to talk to, except they had left the Garden before it had even taken off, as per the Headmaster's orders.

So it had been a lonely last couple of days spent wandering the Garden and exploring the new territory she had found herself in. With classes suspended, Rinoa had fully believed she wouldn't be a hindrance if she chose to take a look at the classrooms and had emerged jealous and disappointed. Jealous of the equipment the students were making use of here and disappointed at her school system back in Deling City. The classrooms in the Garden were so much more sophisticated than the ones back in Galbadia, with computers built into desks that served to seat two people, and a monitor in the back that was practically the entirety of the wall behind what could be assumed to be the teachers desk. She had even tried one of the monitors and found that in addition to being accessible through keyboards they were touch screen as well.

Her high school, while not exactly ordinary itself, never held the kind of standard that Garden did and she wondered if money really didn't buy you anything.

The thought of money made her thoughts turn to Norg, which brought a frown to her features while she was in mid-chew of her breakfast. She didn't know _why _she was so upset with the death of the guy, since he wasn't actually a nice guy to begin with, but she supposed it was her firm belief that no one actually deserved to die or be killed, especially not in the way the Garden Proprietor had been.

But, like Zell had pointed out, Norg had been trying to kill _them _in the first place. She had known injury would have been inevitable, but she hadn't expected anyone to have to die in order for the fighting to stop. If Xu hadn't shown up when she had, Rinoa believed whole-heartedly that the circumstances would have been vastly different.

No, she decided that it wasn't the actual act that had her steamed but the indifference and the seemingly casual and callous way it had been handled. How Squall had said it wasn't important enough to discuss when really it should've been the first topic of conversation. Never in her life had she ever condoned murder, and yet here she was at the Garden, a guest in a house of people who were trained to take lives in protection of their own, all for the whims of a stupid contract.

Swallowing thickly around the morsel of food in her throat, she bit her lip guiltily as she realized her name would now forever be added to that list. The more she travelled and hung around these people, the more she realized that hiring SeeD in the first place had been a mistake. But even as she thought that, she couldn't help the pity that swelled in her stomach at the very thought. That how these people had conformed to this lifestyle that seemed normal to them, almost necessary. People were actually excited for the Field Exams, for graduating and joining these ranks and Rinoa couldn't fathom what would make anyone want to be a SeeD if it meant not knowing if you would come back from an assignment alive or even_ whole _again - both physically and mentally.

She was vividly reminded of that day in Timber and she suddenly realized the deeper meaning that Squall, Zell and Selphie had been trying to drill into her. Only _one _side of it was being forced to kill. On the flip side, they had to be prepared to lose _their _lives from the fallout of the mission, for the _sake _of it. She supposed she had known this all along, but having become absorbed into her own little happy bubble that consisted of Timber and her immense disgust for the Galbadians, she had become blinded to that aspect and had instead focussed on the callous negative.

Suddenly the Deling City Parade came to mind and she was forced to suppress a shudder as she shovelled scrambled eggs into her mouth. The involuntary body movement wasn't _just _from the thought of those strange creatures who had come out from nowhere and attacked her on that balcony. Her train of thought fell back to Squall telling her about Seifer and what might happen should the other gunblader interfered with the mission. Squall didn't _have _to tell her that. His expectation had been for Irvine to get her out of there while he finished the mission. He could have just lied to her, told her that some nameless face was standing guard, but instead he had chosen to tell her out of courtesy and honesty. It hadn't made her feel any better to know, but she had callously waved the notion away. Despite knowing that the prospect of murder and the actual act where two very different things, it still alarmed her that she could become so upset over a man who had wanted to kill them and yet be almost completely fine with the thought of losing a man who had once been close to her.

Suddenly, she wasn't so hungry anymore.

Pushing away her food, Rinoa decided that she would return to her room and simply stay there. Biting her lip, she realized because of her past reactions she had no business judging actions or holding grudges against people who lived with this every damn day of their lives. The horrible guilt ridden twisting of her stomach returned with a vengeance, threatening to make her throw up the breakfast she had forced herself to eat.

Her mind made up, Rinoa continued to her room in confidence, deciding that she would _not _stay in as she had originally decided but make amends. She would personally seek out Zell and apologize for the way she had treated him and hope he would forgive her for her attitude the last two days. As for Squall, he had tons more he had to apologize for before that would ever happen and she was prepared to hold her silence. It may have been childish but it was the principle of the fact. Squall was wrong in the way he had reacted to the situation and while she hadn't been much better, it was about recognizing those wrongs. If he acknowledged them then he wasn't showing it very well, and that was wrong itself in Rinoa's eyes.

Though why it bothered her so much she couldn't begin to know.

"Yo! Rinoa!"

Rinoa jumped slightly and twisted on the spot, recognizing the voice almost instantly and cursing her luck. While she wanted to apologize, she was also dreading the moment and here was some higher being who seemed to have decided he liked watching her squirm, sending in the very person she had been about to search for to begin with.

Still, despite the awkwardness of the situation, she offered Zell a beaming smile that was meant to tell him she wasn't mad at him anymore. But that smile faltered when she spotted the _other _person who had been walking behind him. Suddenly, she felt even less comfortable in the t-shirt and shorts she wore and folded her arms across her chest almost defensively as she waited for the pair to near them. Zell reached her first, though his pace had slowed significantly as he caught sight of her defensive stance and Rinoa cursed herself, knowing that she was making things difficult instead of easy.

"Hey," she said as she trained her gaze on Zell, pretending that the _other _person wasn't there. She bit her lip sheepishly, knowing that she had to get the apology over with. "Sorry I acted like a brat. You didn't deserve it."

Zell looked almost relieved when she started talking again and Rinoa returned his look with what she perceived as a friendly grin. "Nah, it's cool," Zell waved off with a shrug. The action caught Rinoa off guard because she had thought it would take more than that to be forgiven. She couldn't help but wonder how someone's personality could be so much like flipping a switch, particularly when one was training to join a force of mercenaries for hire with such bleak futures ahead of them

_Don't go there, Rinoa._

Instead of focussing on the very things that had brought her to this situation in the first place, Rinoa decided to just be relieved that Zell was holding no hard feelings against her. She also decided that she would never put him in the position she had again.

"Can't chat for long though," Zell said which caused Rinoa to frown in confusion. "Gotta get ready to go."

"Oh?" Rinoa asked, not really expecting an answer though curious all the same. She thought no one was supposed to go out, and while the Garden was huge there wasn't much in the way of locations they could go. "Where're you going?"

But Zell shook his head suddenly. By this point, Squall had caught up and was standing a respectable distance from the pair. Rinoa purposely ignored his presence, concentrating on the brawler and wondering what was wrong with her statement. Then she took in the two SeeDs and what they were wearing and decided they were on the way to the Training Centre. But then why couldn't Zell stand and talk for a few minutes? Where they afraid all the monsters would be killed by the time they got there? Or maybe Zell had figured out she was still mad at Squall and didn't want any more awkwardness. She supposed she could live with that, but it almost felt like he was still siding with the other SeeD against her.

Her assumptions went out the window though with what Zell had to say next. "You asked the question wrong. It's not where're _you _going," and then he was tracing a circle through the air with his index finger as he spoke, "it's where're _we _going."

Rinoa started, wondering why she was being included in their business, but Zell didn't give her the chance to ask. "The thing the Garden crashed into turned out to be a city. We're on the shore team going to speak to the officials about it. It's all diplomatic like." He stuck out his tongue. Rinoa didn't need further explanation to know that diplomatic matters were certainly _not _the brawler's forte.

But it was still puzzling that she was being involved in this assignment when she had no ties with SeeD whatsoever. Of course being able to leave the Garden was a blessing since she had started to feel a little cooped up, but at the same time it was on Garden business. Rinoa wasn't so sure that apologizing on behalf of the Garden was such a good idea, couple with the knowledge that the very one person who she was currently not speaking to would be on this mission as well. She was tired of causing awkwardness and refused to be a part of it. Even if it did mean she had to suffer for her sacrifice.

"Hey... Garden to Rinoa..."

The raven-haired girl snapped back to reality as a hand started waving in front of her face. She shook her thoughts away in embarrassment as Zell moved his hand back to look at her in concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Rinoa waved off through a nervous chuckle. "I get a choice in this, right?"

"Well, _yeah_, o'course, since you're a civilian, but.."

Rinoa cut the brawler off. "So I'm gonna have to pass on this. I'm just really tired. Didn't get much in the way of sleep last night. But I appreciate you trying to involve me and everything. Maybe next time."

Zell scratched his head in confusion, seemingly surprised that she hadn't jumped at the chance to tag along. She didn't know what Squall was thinking, since she was still purposely ignoring him, but for his part he was (wisely) remaining silent.

"You sure?" Zell asked, his tone indicating that he didn't believe her. "You feel sick or something? You hit your head in the crash maybe?"

Rinoa laughed off his concern, thinking that it was sweet but over the top. "I'm just tired, like I said. I just need more sleep."

"Zell, if she doesn't want to come then that's fine."

This time, Rinoa was unable to keep from turning to the pessimistic peanut gallery and she stared at him in shock at the abruptness of the statement. Even Zell had been taken aback, but when he went to protest, Squall cut him off. "The Headmaster only invited her because she's been stuck in the Garden for so long, so if she wants to stay inside and risk cabin fever, that's her decision."

Rinoa frowned thoughtfully, not wanting to go completely bat shit crazy because she was stuck indoors, but before she could agree with Squall and Zell could argue the point, Squall showed his bored indifference with the discussion by turning his back on the pair of them and heading back the way he had come. Rinoa scowled at his back, wondering at the audacity and the rudeness and how he managed to get away with it all the time.

"And look at it this way," Squall called as he moved further and further away, "At least she won't be _dragging _us to every single shop the city's bound to have, or whining about wanting to get new clothes and the like. It'll be _quiet _for once."

Rinoa's attention was drawn to her sleepwear and the sight itself reminded her that she was in desperate need of some clothes if she was going to continue to refuse to wear anything with the Garden emblem. It made the trip into the city even more appealing, _especially _since being a civilian meant she wasn't under the same hindering rules as everyone else on the team would be. Thinking back to Timber, she hadn't had any time to pack before they had left, and she bit her lip as she decided that whatever this new town had to offer them would most definitely be a step up from what she had to choose from now.

Zell meanwhile was still scratching the back of his head, but then he shrugged and was about to speak. Rinoa whirled around to face him, hands on her hips and a scowl to her features. "Don't you _dare _agree with him," she hissed and the brawler's mouth snapped shut. She almost expected a salute to match but she didn't waste time long enough to find out. Instead, she turned her attention to the back of the retreating asshole a few feet away. If he had been looking forward to this _quiet _mission, then he was sorely mistaken. "Too bad, asshole! I've changed my mind, I'm coming with you!"

She let the decision hang in the air before feeling the need to follow up. "It's _only _because I _really _do need new clothes. But don't expect _me _to apologize or anything. _That's _all on you!"

These words caused Squall to pause in his stride and he half turned. Rinoa couldn't help but think that his sudden courtesy was strange, but whatever he was thinking he was keeping to himself as usual. His features were shaped into that guarded neutral expression, giving her the impression that he wasn't at all fazed by her sudden decision. "Alright," he said with a verbal shrug that grated on her nerves. "If you insist on tagging along as usual, then meet us at the front gate in five minutes."

"_Excuse _me?" Rinoa said, barely able to rein her voice in from shrieking pitch. She caught Zell flinching at the tone from the corner of her eye but otherwise paid him no attention. "Who do you think you are, some kind of rejected boot camp drill sergeant? You've got to be _seriously _out of your _mind _if you think that _anyone _would be ready in less than five minutes."

Judging from the look Squall was fixing her, she was receiving no sympathy from him. In fact, it looked like he was bored with the argument and seemed to only be waiting for her to shut up and fall in line. Rinoa gave a frustrated grunt before raising her hand and ticking her fingers with each point she made. "Seriously! I need to shower, I need to fix my hair, I've barely eaten anything at all today... I'm going to need at _least _an hour to prepare."

At this, she finally got a response. Squall appeared to balk at her estimation and he folded his arms across his chest in a very argumentative way. "I'm _not _waiting an hour for you to get ready."

"Too damn bad! It's not humanly possible for to make myself presentable with that small chunk of change you've _generously _given me."

"Why bother take all that time to get ready when we're just visiting the locals?" Squall asked through a barely repressed sigh. "We're not going sightseeing, we're on a mission. I've given you plenty of time to get ready, and we're wasting it standing here arguing."

"Yeah for _you _maybe, but not _everyone _lives out of a backpack and thinks it's not such a big deal," Rinoa hissed back.

"Um..." Zell interrupted. Both teenagers turned to regard the blonde fighter, who looked almost sorry that he'd said anything to begin with. Still, he persevered. "Sorry man, but even _I _can't be ready in five minutes. I've gotta shower too, and I don't think the dignitaries'll take too kindly to me stinking up the joint."

"Ha!" Rinoa laughed in triumph as Squall sighed in exasperation.

"But Rinoa..." Zell continued and suddenly Rinoa wasn't so sure she wanted to hear what he had to say. "I gotta agree with Squall too. I'm not gonna wait around an hour for you to dally up for something that's not even a party. How about a compromise. Thirty minutes is plenty more than five, right?"

"Fine, whatever," Squall said in exasperation. "So long as we can stop wasting time arguing and get going. We can't keep the Lieutenant waiting much longer than that."

He turned and started down the infirmary. Rinoa assumed he was privately sulking since they weren't moving near as efficiently as he thought they should and took it as a small victory. But if she wasn't so concentrated on the fact that she had won what most would have announced as a useless victory, she might have noticed that he didn't seem near as bothered about it as she thought. In fact, she might have noticed that he too was congratulating himself on the small victory that he himself had just achieved.

* * *

It was exactly thirty minutes later that everyone found themselves standing in front of the elevators, fully dressed and freshly showered. The only thing that was keeping Rinoa in the street clothes she had been wearing for a straight month now was the knowledge and chance of getting new ones. Unlike her though, Squall and Zell weren't as hindered. Zell was currently pacing the floor, his sneakers tapping and squeaking against the linoleum, his familiar red and black hooded sweater stark against the white shirt and black shorts he wore. Squall meanwhile was leaning against the railing dressed in the same colours she had seen him in the entire time she had known him, though his beater jacket had been exchanged for a simpler looking leather jacket.

The trio waited for the Lieutenant to meet them for what felt like an hour, but in actuality it was only fifteen minutes (Zell had made the statement but Squall had felt the need to correct him) before the hum of the elevator drew everyone's attention. Seconds later, the Lieutenant emerged from behind the Plexiglas but didn't make it any further than the top of the steps. "What are you three doing?"

"Waiting for you," Zell answered. A second later, the brawler had bounced up onto his feet as though remembering who he was speaking to and saluted the elder woman, tacking on a hasty 'sir' for good measure.

"And how were you expecting to leave?" the Lieutenant asked. "Through the Front Gate?"

"Well that was _kind of _the plan," Zell said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Rinoa bit her lip, wondering where this conversation was heading.

She didn't have to wait long. Xu shook her head in response to the brawler's comment. "Not unless you want to swim all the way to town. The Front Gate's closed because it's underwater."

"But I thought the Garden floated _above _the water?" Rinoa asked in surprise. Xu shook her head once again.

"It does, but when the Garden picked up, the panels that made it mobile closed off the Front Gate. It's probably some kind of precaution to prevent the whole first floor from flooding, or at least that's what we've managed to figure out. At any rate, all we can do is speculate since we don't even know how to land the Garden. In the meantime, the only way to leave is through the second floor balcony."

Rinoa knew that balcony all too well. For the most part, she had spent her time marvelling the view from that very spot. But she couldn't understand how Xu expected them to enter the city through the balcony when it was closed off by the railings. They would have to climb over them, a cumbersome task that might slow them down but not stop them. Her primary concern was the knowledge that neither of the two SeeDs had known about the front gate in the first place, and wondered how many students or SeeD members had wondered off to investigate what would have been their folly. Deciding that it was probably common sense that stopped them from doing so, she put the thought behind her for the meantime.

They all boarded the elevator after that, the doors sliding closed before the contraption rose up to their desired floor. Rinoa was vividly reminded of the events two days ago, when the four of them had left the basement and the awkward silence that had filled the air. It was like a repeat of that very moment, though the tension wasn't near as thick as it had been back then. Still, Rinoa wasn't thrilled with the reminder and forced her mind to focus on other things, like the tiles above their heads or the patterns that had been etched into the walls of the metal box.

When they emerged onto the landing that led to the ring that was the second floor, they walked past the number of classrooms that littered the halls. Rinoa couldn't help but still marvel at the simple elegance of her surroundings despite having already seen them but Xu's voice was the one to break her free from her trance. "I'm sure Squall has already briefed you on the mission and our reason for heading to town."

Rinoa nodded in reflex, despite the fact that Xu wasn't actually looking at either of them. The statement had been rhetorical, though all the same Rinoa had the compelling urge that having down nothing would have been an affront to the elder woman. Still she felt a bit foolish when her answer went unacknowledged. "But on top of apologizing for the damages caused in the crash, we're also to observe the town."

"You mean like spying?" Rinoa asked, not liking the sound of that. If they were caught spying then things would get really messy with the town leaders and who knew what would happen then.

Xu shook her head. "Not exactly. It's more or less for our protection than it is for Intel purposes. Many people in the world don't agree with SeeD and the things we've done or the motivations that allow us to do them. If we've come across a town that feels that way, then it might just be safer for everyone to stay inside the Garden while the repairs are being made. If they're not, well... bully for us. Either way, we've been tasked to find out."

"So more like recon then," Zell asked, to which Xu nodded. The brawler sighed. "Let's hope the local's aren't hostile or anything."

"You're not the only one," Xu added with a sigh. "The Headmaster also said that going ashore was a way to broaden our horizons. That he wanted SeeD to be able to see the world. So I suppose we're more like ambassadors playing tour guide."

Within twenty minutes, they had reached the end of the hallway that took them to a door that led to a curving staircase. It was a quick climb of the stairs but when they finally reached the door that led out onto the balcony, Rinoa couldn't help but jaw-drop in shock. For the most part, the balcony remained the same but over the central bar was a simple looking plant with a small barrier, like railings of its own. Attached to the very base that connected the Garden was a set of stairs, possibly for easy climbing. The supports that were latched around the bottom were supposedly meant for balance and looked to keep the plank from moving around while people walked all over it. The plank itself rose up like a sort of ramp and led to what Rinoa could only assume was a rig. It looked a lot sturdier than the ramp did, with actual man-made stairs that led down and further along the path. It also looked like only two people could walk side by side comfortably along the walk, it was that narrow.

Standing at the top of the ramp as though they had been waiting for them to arrive were three men, all of them wearing civilian clothing, though it looked like they had all attempted to clean up a bit. Rinoa could still make out the oil stains on exposed arms and hands, a sight that told her they might be handy men or engineers or something, while their clothing were bare of such elements, like they'd all run home and got changed out of their work clothes. Another thing she noticed almost immediately was the lack of weapons a normal guard would have raised at the sign of unknown visitors. She thought it was odd that they had come to them bare-handed and wondered if they were even taking them seriously.

Still there was one good thing to be said about the trio. No weapons plus nicely changed clothes meant they were trying to make a good impression and to Rinoa that spoke volumes. That meant they weren't hostile.

The trio seemed to notice them. The two furthest away from them began talking between one another, their gazes occasionally shifting to their approach. The closest man stepped forward almost casually but Rinoa also noticed that his movement had put himself in their path should they have wanted to climb the ramp. She wondered if he was purposely baring their entry and, if so, why make the damn thing in the first place.

"Hello there," the man started. His accent was something that Rinoa had never heard before, something she had expected to an extent. Not everyone walked the world speaking in Galbadian tones and accents, take the Garden students for instance. To be perfectly honest, she hadn't actually heard a real Balambi accent yet, at least that was according to Zell.

The man still spoke, regardless of Rinoa's inner musings. "We've all come to welcome you ashore and to escort you to our leader. No doubt you have business with him."

"We do," Xu responded politely. "We're SeeD members..."

"We know who you are," the man interrupted almost abruptly and Rinoa frowned wondering if her earlier assumptions had been off. There was a harshness to the tone that was just suddenly _there _that the man seemed to try (and fail) to hide. Having heard it clearly, she realized it had always been there since the moment he had greeted them. "Which is why we've come to warn you before you come aboard. We do not tolerate belligerence in this city. You're all more than welcome to enter the city, but we must ask that, before you do, you leave your weapons behind."

She caught sight of Squall and Zell exchanging glances between one another and for a second Rinoa thought there was going to be trouble. While Zell didn't actually need weapons to cause some serious damage, she had been around SeeD long enough to know that asking them to relinquish their weapons was just as good as ordering them to surrender. SeeD didn't take too lightly to having their toys taken away it would seem. Still, the thought didn't sit well with Rinoa either who looked to her Blaster Edge with hesitation, not wanting to be caught without it.

Before anyone could argue the point, Xu had already removed her glocks from their holsters. "We understand," she said before gesturing at them to follow suit. With another glance between them, Squall and Zell followed the order. Rinoa did almost immediately.

"They will be returned to you once you come back." the man assured as they took up the weapons. "Until then, we'll keep them in this bin."

Just as the man said, the weapons were place - not dropped - into the aforementioned bin to the side of where the ramp ended, one on top of the other. It was done so gently that Rinoa wondered if these guys had military backgrounds or something similar that would have trained them to handle them so lightly. Then again, they might have realized the importance to weapons and SeeD and were trying their level best to handle them with care. Still, it looked like they definitely knew what they were doing.

Within the last few minutes, Rinoa was positive that there was more to these skill-hands than they were letting on.

When all the weapons had been packed away, the man who had done all the talking stood back up and turned to regard them with a smile. It was the first friendly sign they had received since meeting the trio. "Welcome to Fisherman's Horizon. We just call it FH here. Feel free to do the same."

* * *

The walk from the Garden to the city itself was uneventful. There was a bit of small talk that had resulted in apologies from the Lieutenant but there had been a discover that seemed to have caught everyone off guard. He had judged that the men who had come to welcome them might be skill hands or had jobs where they used their hands to build things and he'd been right in his assumption. In fact, everyone in town was. The people of Fisherman's Horizon loved to repair objects or outcrops that had either broken down or simply got old, so much so that they even looked forward to it.

What a place to crash into.

One of the more interesting topics of conversation was at least the start to answering the mysteries of the Garden. Apparently before the Garden was up and running, it had been serviced and upgraded right here from what it had been, a Centarian shelter during the Lunar cry eighty years ago. It at least explained to him how the Headmaster had been so quick to contact someone in town when no one else had actually been here before. Squall wasn't so sure how that sat with him, having had it drilled into him that no outsiders were permitted within the Garden unless under certain occasions. He had thought it was an issue to bring Rinoa here, but the image of a group of workers who weren't affiliated with SeeD being allowed into the Garden to do their thing didn't sit well with him.

He was at least glad he wasn't being charged with making the decision on that one. He wouldn't have known what to do.

Still, if they utilized the help of these citizens, it would cut the time spent in FH down by a significant margin and they could then focus on what they were going to do about the Sorceress. He shook the idea away before it could properly form, reminding himself that it wasn't his job to make this decision.

They reached a set of stairs that led onto a smaller platform, barely wide enough to fit everyone. The skill hands made to move on, but the sight beyond the platform was enough to arrest the SeeDs and Rinoa's attention, garnering brief intakes of breath that were expelled in gasps of awe and marvel. Even the Lieutenant, who normally wasn't one to stop and admire the scenery, looked captivated, and it took the skill hands a couple of seconds to realize they were no longer being followed.

The air was clean, far cleaner than even in Balamb where there were cars and trains an all sorts of businesses that sent smoke and other things hanging in the air. The smog had been almost impenetrable in Deling during the day, but seemed to have been thrown out of the way as the lights in the had lit up the sky at night. Either way, Squall was sure he had never seen the sky as clear as it was now. Further beyond, he caught sight of windmills that were littered all over town, surrounded by buildings that were simple in design. The ground itself was littered in tracks, giving the illusion that the town itself was built along the train tracks.

"Of course," one of their guides had remarked when Zell had brought the topic up. "But it's not so much an illusion. The whole city's actually built _into _the Horizon Bridge."

The Horizon Bridge itself was a structure that had been created to bridge the gap between the Esthar and Galbadian continents. People had taken advantage of its completion by either commuting back and forth for business or pleasure, or simply packing up and leaving the country of origin altogether. But once the second Sorceress' War had ended, Esthar disappeared and Deling ordered it so, the bridge had stood unused. It was a miracle that it was still standing at all, what with the probable lack of repair and upkeep.

From listening to the answers they received to both Zell and Rinoa's questions, Squall learned that the community that had started the town had done so shortly before Esthar's disappearance.

Beyond even the buildings there was what Squall thought was, at first, some kind of surface of water. Disregarding the theory, because the whole town was surrounding on all sides by ocean and thus it made no sense to have small bodies of water littered throughout the streets, he realized it looked more like a stadium for some kind of event, be it sports or concerts. Their escorts had quickly torpedoed the likelihood of this being fact.

"Those plates are pretty much the very centre of the city," they explained to them in turns, "and the blue surface are actually solar panels. They draw in the city's power so that we don't have to worry about utilizing fossil fuels out here in the middle of nowhere. The power is stored in generators below the city for us to use throughout the night. Ignoring that, we also have windmills and utilize wind power as a backup. You've probably noticed them as we've wandered along, but because of those two options, we've gone all this time without a single day of total loss of power. Well, aside from the first few months _after _the city was built.

"That's actually where we're currently headed. The Mayor's house is near the very centre of those panels. He and his wife live there, but they also hold the city meetings and other important events like that. It's kinda like working from home, I'd say, but we don't mind it. After all, if it wasn't for either of them, this city probably wouldn't even _be _here."

The group had continued their way along the plank, which led them around a series of pillars that rose up into the sky above, before they came across a flat panelled platform with grated flooring and railings that prevented them from progressing any further. It didn't take long to figure out that this platform was actually a lift. One of the three escorts stayed behind to fiddle with the controls just before the lift, while the other two stood at the furthest side of the platform and ushered the four visitors inside.

"So..." one of the skill hands said after a few seconds of silence. "You folks heading to Esthar or something?"

"Esthar?" The Lieutenant echoed in confusion. "Why would we be headed there?"

"Dunno," the skill hand answered with a shrug. "Was gonna ask you that myself, that's for sure. Since the war ended, this city's really the only way we know of to reach the country. Not that you'd be able to find it, seeing as how the whole country's disappeared since then. A lot's changed since the people who started this place actually lived there, so we're as much in the dark as everyone else."

"Wait, you guys _lived _in Esthar?" Zell asked in astonished shock.

The guy chuckled. "Most of us are. Me and my little brother were real young when my folks up and left. A lot of us weren't thrilled with the way the Sorceress was running things, so the group of us figured we'd go someplace else. The Mayor's the one who orchestrated the whole move, so you could probably find out more if you ask him about it. Maybe even our legendary fisherman could answer a few questions for you to, that's _if _you can find him anyway."

The lift started up and the skill hand waved goodbye as the remaining six descended to the very bottom. The ground shifted marginally, though not nearly enough to knock anyone off balance, and seconds later, the railing swung forward like a gate, allowing them to continue further into town. One of the remaining two citizens stayed behind, saying something about operating it further with his partner. The sole remaining escort led them down the street where they passed by a number of houses and shops along the way. At the very end of the street, there was a curve that seemed to lead them right, but straight ahead there was a ramp that seemed to slope down into the solar panels. The escort led them right down the path, but stopped only a short distance further. "Down that way's the Mayor's house. It's the only building there, you can't miss it."

And then he turned back around and left them to their devices.

As the group of four travelled down the ramp, it became more apparent that what they had spotted from the distance were the solar panels the skill hands had mentioned. Occasionally, they'd be forced to turn away or shield their eyes from the glare that reflected sunlight off the reflective surfaces. It was a quiet walk down to the very bottom, but after nearly half an hour they arrived at their destination.

The house itself was big, but it looked as though it had been welded together with an assortment of metal slabs, all a different shape or size. A set of stairs that looked to have been made of some kind of metal plank was set up along the side of the house, stopping just underneath a set of double-doors that served as the front entrance. To the right of the door looked to have been a ventilation grating and at the back was a large circular object that could have been the home's water supply.

Despite how seemingly shoddy the house looking in appearance, there was something about it that reminded Squall of the strange intestinal cords in the MD level of the Garden. And even more astounding was the fact that there were trees sprouting from the roof of the building, and yet there were no windows along the side of the building to let in the sunlight that would have allowed such a growth.

"Hope it doesn't rain," Squall heard Zell whisper to Rinoa, who giggled in response.

Everyone approached the front door after ascending the stairs and the Lieutenant knocked on the door tentatively. An instant later, a screen on the left of the door filled with static before an elderly looking man's face appeared onscreen. "Yes? Who is it?"

"Lieutenant Xu of Balamb Garden, sir," the Lieutenant announced before falling into a salute. "I believe the Headmaster appraised the Mayor of our..."

"And so he did," the man on the monitor interrupted. "I'll be right down."

And the screen fell back into it's offline status before the Lieutenant could protest.

Squall and Zell exchanged glances between one another before Zell did the same with Rinoa. The raven-haired girl shrugged at the unvoiced question, but nothing else could be said or done as the door suddenly slid open, allowing them entrance. The elderly man they had seen just seconds before was standing with them. "I'm the Mayor here. Orion Dobe, pleased to make your acquaintance."

The Lieutenant barely had enough time to open her mouth in the act of speaking before the Mayor cut her off again. "Come in, come in, all of you. Let's get this meeting started, shall we?"

The interior of the building belayed the shabby exterior. It was kept rather neat and tidy looking, arranged with the loving care of someone who tended to a valued possession. Past the front entrance was a short hallway that emptied out into what looked to be a sitting area. Squall could only speculate, but it seemed to him as though it had been transformed into some impromptu meeting room. There were couches positioned on the left and right hand side of the room, the former right beside a set of curving stairs that led up onto the second level of the house - and three arm chairs at the back of the room. The floor was not carpeted, leaving the mismatched floorboards exposed for all to see and there was only one light bulb in the ceiling in the very centre of the room. Squall couldn't tell whether or not its light would cover the whole room but it seemed like it had been strategically placed where it was so the people below would benefit most from it.

Mayor Dobe led them up the stairs where it emptied out into another large room that reminded Squall of a greenhouse, or what a greenhouse was supposed to look like. The floor was again uncarpeted and clear, but this room was most definitely the most well lit portion of the house. This was because the whole ceiling and the walls surrounding them were actually windows and bathed the whole room full of the natural light of the sun. Hanging from fixtures in the metal plates between each window were plane models, something Squall assumed to be a hobby of either the Mayor or his wife. Along the walls were terminals and monitors and, through the window, Squall took notice of the tree they had first spotted. From the looks of it, it was sprouting out of one of the other rooms along the side of the house.

And sitting on the floor was an elderly woman with long blonde hair left down and fashioned like a mane around her head, wearing a pink shirt and a flower patterned white skirt. She wore no socks and no shoes and she smiled at them in welcoming as the Mayor plopped down beside her onto the floor. He was dressed modestly for a Mayor (or any Mayor that Squall had ever seen anyway) in a yellow shirt-jacket, a black t-shirt and a pair of green shorts. Like the woman, he was barefoot.

"I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Flo," the Mayor said, indicating the woman he sat down next to. Flo waved politely. Beside them, Rinoa waved back. "Come now. We can't have a meeting if all the guests aren't properly seated."

"You mean on the _floor_?" Zell asked, to which Mayor Dobe nodded.

"It's the most natural and comfortable place to be," he persisted.

Squall frowned in disagreement, his thoughts returning to the meeting area that had been set up downstairs. He said nothing in response and sat down when the Lieutenant indicated that they do so. Zell looked uncertain, be it of the Mayor's logic or his sanity, but followed suit all the same. Rinoa complied shortly afterwards, her knees tucked under her chin with her feet flat against the floor.

"I hope you don't mind if we skip the rest of the pleasantries and cut right down to the chase," Mayor Dobe said as he clapped his hands together in front of him. "So. When are you leaving?"

_He's not wasting any time,_ Squall mused in silent surprise. Of the first things to say at the start of a meeting, this was not one of the ones he had expected. Beside him, Rinoa's back straightened and Zell looked taken aback, almost offended by the question. The only person who did not seem even remarkably shocked was the Lieutenant, though he couldn't make out her reaction to the question because she kept it to herself.

"It's not that simple," she explained. The Mayor looked puzzled at her answer but remained silent as she continued. "The Garden has sustained damages from the crash, ones that prevent us from leaving right away. It will take some time to repair. But as soon as we're up and running we'll be able to leave any time. But it's not just the damages that are the issue at hand. We only just learned that our Garden could go mobile and, due to circumstances out of our control, we had to utilize this capability. Unfortunately we haven't learned how to navigate the controls just yet, which is what resulted in the crash in the first place. On top of conducting repairs, we'll have to fully assess the controls and the systems they operate in order to figure out how they work before we can pull out. We wouldn't want a repeat of this incident to happen. As such, we might be stuck here for a couple of months, if not longer than that."

"Is that all?" The Mayor asked, sounding almost shocked at what he appeared to considered so little work. "Our skill hands could have your Garden fixed up in a matter of a few days, couple weeks at most. As for figuring out the controls, allow some of our technicians to look at the system and we'll figure it out for you. In fact, we could even have them adjusted so they would be easier to use. All you would need to have is personnel on hand to learn the operating system when it's been completed. You'd be all set."

"I'll have to consult with the Headmaster about letting your people into the Garden," the Lieutenant answered diplomatically. "But I don't think he'd be likely to refuse the help."

"Good, good," The Mayor said cheerfully and beside him Flo's smile widened. It was almost as though they were relieved by their response.

Apparently, Rinoa thought so too because she suddenly raised her hand as if she were in the middle of a classroom and cleared her throat, garnering everyone's attention. "Um, excuse me... but why the rush to get us to leave?"

"Rinoa..." The Lieutenant said suddenly and Squall frowned in her direction. Why the hell couldn't she just mind her own business? Who cared why they were trying to get rid of them so suddenly when it was benefiting them at the same time? They had already explained to her the possible reason, that they might be opposed to what Seed did. Yet here she was wasting everyone's time with pointless questions.

"No no," the Mayor waved off. Beside him, Flo shifted position so that her feet were tucked underneath her. "It's quite alright. It's a fair question and I don't mind answering it one bit. However, I _will _be frank so I hope I don't offend anyone.

"The point of the matter is this. Fisherman's Horizon is a _peaceful _community. After years of working for a power crazed tyrant who was willing to start a war to get what she wanted, we became fed up and moved away from such violence, wanting to start our lives anew. Over the last twenty years, our structure of principles has been built around the ideal of pacifism. As such, we don't want any involvement with militarism or anything of the like and that includes you SeeD people."

"While you draw your weapons and fight," Flo spoke up for the first time. Her voice was light and soft spoken, holding a calm of which he had never seen before. "We take the alternative and talk out our problems until we can reach an understanding that all parties involved can agree with. _Your _method of solving disputes is in direct defiance to our beliefs."

_Valid point,_ Squall mused mentally. _Trite and dull as hell though. Not to mention ineffective in some cases._

"In short," the Mayor continued, "We don't want any trouble here. Violence leads to more violence and, as such, we believe that your presence here will attract unwanted attention, thus leading to violence. That is why we want you all to leave as soon as you can. We're able to help assist in the repairs and, soon, whatever journey you may be embarking on can recommence and the citizens of this city can go back to our lives."

_It's almost like Winhill_," Squall thought with a sigh. Beside him, Zell clenched his fists tight enough to turn the knuckles white. It seemed the Mayor's words had offended him anyway, regardless of the elder man's wishes. _Outsiders aren't welcome because they bring their own batch of problems with them._

"That's understandable," the Lieutenant remarked before suddenly rising to her feet. "I think we've taken up enough of your time, sir. It was a pleasure meeting you both."

She turned back to face the other three, who were following her actions and rising to their own feet. "Let's head on back. I think we've seen enough, don't you?"

Squall received the message loud and clear. They weren't wanted in the city, so there was no point in sticking around any longer than they had to. Rinoa looked miserable at the thought and Squall couldn't help but feel badly, knowing that the only reason she had agreed to come in the first place was her seemingly desperate need to shop and her desire to get some fresh air. She seemed to have really been looking forward to it.

Neither the Mayor nor his wife bothered to walk them to the door. They found their way just the same as they climbed back down the stairs and left the building. As soon as they passed through the door that had led inside to begin with though, it slammed shut behind them with a mechanical whirl followed but a sharp _click _that signaled it had locked.

* * *

Even with the sun beating down on them, the citizens and residents of Fisherman's Horizon still went about their day as if it were nothing. People of different ages, genders and physical appearance all worked together day and night to keep the city running under the guidance of the Mayor and his wife. What brought them all together? Their frustration with endless battles and (what they saw as) needles struggling. Talking through their problems solved everything without the unnecessary bloodshed that wars caused.

There were two types of professions that were further categorized from there, making up the revenue that allowed the city to sustain itself. For fisherman who wanted to travel out into the ocean for bigger game, there needed to be boats and experienced skill hands who could navigate their position. On the boat, there needed to be skill hands who made sure everything was up and running before, during and after the trip.

Fish was only _one _aspect of the town. The other major source of revenue came from the skill hands who helped to maintain the city and ensured that everything was up and operational. Plumbers, sewer maintenance workers and the like, didn't matter who you were. Everyone lent a hand. Most of the people who fell into the jobs they had had utilized these skills as hobbies, and to learn that one would be making a living off doing the one thing they loved just made it even more worth it. Though most assured that they couldn't put a price tag on something you loved, they still took their paycheques to their homes to help sustain themselves and their families.

Branching off from both categories were other places most people could find anywhere. Restaurants, butchers, repair shops, scrap shops, and so on and so forth. All of these places benefited, from the fish that was gathered to the tinkering done down in the sewers. Everyone was happy with their lives and the little bumps along the way could be rubbed out by a little elbow grease, determination and patience.

As a result, crime was almost nonexistent in the fishing community. If someone was caught breaking the law (usually some misdemeanor like shoplifting or stealing) then the individual was sat down and talked to in order to get their side of the story. A compromise was then made by the two parties and life went along as it normally would.

They weren't completely heartless when it came to those who lived outside their walls. The people of FH were a compassionate lot and if they came about a traveller, regardless of his allegiance or background, he was welcomed to join the citizens so long as he obeyed the laws and gave up their life of violence (if necessary). They were given work, housing and a spending allowance at least until they could get back on their own feet.

Because of their views on outsiders, there were no formal guards at the entrance points in town. And even if there had been, they would have been distracted from the thunderous crash this morning, where the Garden had crashed on the west side of town. This had been the most excitement (outside of their discoveries along the job of course) they had seen in a long time and while many people had mixed opinions regarding the buildings inhabitants, they were extremely anxious to get to work on fixing the damages that had been caused. Whether or not the Garden itself would benefit from their handy work was something the Mayor would have to decide but even the prospect of that got people out of their homes to investigate.

But on the opposite side of town, there were still people either working away or hustling and bustling along the city square. People loved to fix things, but that didn't mean they would forsake themselves to do so. They still needed to tend to their own personal needs, like groceries and the like. Families were out for the day just enjoying the sun as it shone down on them, otherwise doing errands or just enjoying the day. Regardless of whether they had free time or no time, they were still courteous as they made their way, careful not to upset other people's day for the sake of their own.

Their day was spoiled when a thunderous crash came from the site of the old train station, a place that had been unused for years since the end of the Second Sorceress War. Unprepared for yet another collision, the quaking ground that resulted from it threw many of the nearby citizens off balance, several of them losing it altogether and falling to the stone beneath their feet.

First responders acted immediately. They set up a perimeter in front the train station, bringing out posts that made up a line that they crafted out of caution tape. Curious about the cause of this latest collision, the citizens stood behind the tape and watched on, waiting for some sign that would answer their questions. No one had used these tracks since Esthar disappeared. It couldn't have been a train. In all the years that Fisherman's Horizon had stood atop the bridge there hadn't been a single train to visit or to pass them by.

The first responders entered the old train station in order to investigate the cause. Should there be injured they would tend to them as best they could before escorting them into the city for further treatment. The citizens waited with baited breath to know just what had disrupted their day for a second time in a row.

Because they hadn't faced a hostile threat in almost twenty years time, they were unprepared for the report of gunfire, a sound they at first equated with fireworks. The screams that followed shortly after the first reports vetoed this notion and soon soldiers dress in red and blue jumpsuits and plated armour emerged where the first responders had disappeared, weapons raised with faced blocked by helmets. Their stance was not at all welcoming and before the crowd could regain its wits, the armoured men opened fire into them. Many caught on instantly to the threat that was afforded them and they ran for their lives even as the fallen - friends, relatives, coworkers - were felled by the bullets. Few were lucky to emerge with wounds and were either helped to stumble away or were left to their fate.

"Secure the perimeter," one of the red soldiers was heard to call to his team. "Lock down the town! _No one _gets in or out without _my _expressed permission! The rest of you, begin the search! Leave no stone unturned, and nowhere uninspected. Any half-assed attempts at finding the subject will lead to swift punishment from the Sorceress!"

* * *

_And now onto the changes (and other bits)_

_I kinda dug myself a whole with the previous bit. Because of the reason Rinoa refused to speak to Squall, I needed an equally good reason to snap her out of it. Then I thought of Seifer and how strangely calm she had been when Squall declared that he might have to kill him, and everything sort of clicked into place. And yes, it is more or less about pride. She wants Squall to apologize to her first. _

_As for Squall and Zell not having known about the Front Gate being closed off, I wanted to explain in more detail why they didn't just go through the front gate and since the majority of the Garden knew better than to try and leave while they were floating along an ocean. It makes sense that no one would have attempted to investigate the Front Gate aside from the personnel responsible for the Garden (ie: Xu and the Headmaster). _

_Fisherman's Horizon itself was easy to do, since Square gave a lot of information duirng out first visit (though sadly the town is rather dull when you return afterwards). It makes sense to me that the townsfolk would confiscate the SeeDs weapons to ensure that they weren't tempted to start hitting each other with them, which is going to make the upcoming events a little more difficult to deal with (or at least I think so). And I gave Dobe the name Orion because he strikes me as the kind of guy who would have such a name. I dunno. It fits and I like it._

_And I threw in the Galbadian's emergence into the city to stir things up abit. I mean, their arrival in the game was rather dull; 'Oh the Galbadians are here at the Train Station'... lame. I wish Square would have at least switched sequences and shown us their __arrival. Meh. I get to be creative._

* * *

__**Update: **_03/07/2012 - So I didn't like the flow of this chapter, and when I finally got to it, I extended on certain ideas, and cut out others. This is especially true in the last scene with the Galbadians. It felt more like a rush job than anything else and it annoyed me to no end. So more description, more history, more background and then more emphasis on the attack. Hope it's not too wordy._


	32. Chapter XXX: Flashpoint

**Chapter XXX:  
Flashpoint**

* * *

The walk from the Mayor's house had been surprisingly quiet, the tirade he had been expecting almost immediately after the door had been slammed in their faces nonexistent for the most part. So he had followed wordlessly as the others made their way towards the ramp that would lead back to the city proper.

The Lieutenant had taken point with Rinoa close behind, her head lowered from either disappointment or as a sign that her thoughts weren't currently with them. With her back facing him, he couldn't tell what she was thinking, but he figured they had more or less to do with the wasted trip. Zell walked beside him if not a step behind him, but he was close enough that Squall could get a good look at his face. The brawler didn't look happy either. At first he thought it was disappointment that they would be confined to the Garden for the length of time it would take to finish the repairs but as they progressed further and further away and the expression on the brawler's face darkened more and more, he was reminded of the Mayor's words back at their (very brief) meeting. As more time passed the more convinced he was of this thought and he knew if that was the case Zell wasn't going to hold his silence forever.

He was right. When they reached the very base of the ramp, whatever fuelled Zell's patience ran out and the brawler suddenly cursed. "_Fucking _asshole.`

Squall sighed, having already drawn up the conclusion that, since everyone else was up ahead, he was the unfortunate recipient of the brawler's verbal temper tantrum. Even still, he wasn't looking forward to having to listen to the younger SeeD whine.

"Him _and _his wife!" Zell continued, as though Squall needed an explanation of what he was talking about. He balled his fists and looked very much like he wanted to slam them into something but he was barely able to restrain himself from doing so. "Di you _see _the way they were eye-balling us? Like we're barbarians with war clubs and war paint chanting around a campfire or something? Fucking hell, they pissed me the _fuck off_!" He sucked his teeth in annoyance. "Man, just 'cuz we don't do things the way _they _do doesn't mean we're bloodthirsty enough to go _looking _for a fight!"

Squall wasn't so sure about that. He knew that Zell was right, but not on the whole and could think of a number of people who would use the power that SeeD gave them to hold sway or provoke other people. These people were always looking for a fight to exert their power and force, and it wouldn't surprise him if these people were willing to instigate a war if it meant they could prove themselves. Seifer's name was the first one that came to his mind, but he shook the thought away before they could dwell into deeper waters. It wouldn't do them any good to reflect on the past.

But even if he had wanted to become absorbed in thought, Zell suddenly whirled on him and the sight caused him to shift his own gaze a bit. The brawler was looking at him imploringly and the sight put the teenager off guard. "Why the hell didn't you tell him off?" Zell asked suddenly. "You know, like you told off Rinoa back in Timber? _They're _not clients. They woulda had it coming!"

Frowning in contemplation, Squall found himself unable to understand why it was _his _job to put the Mayor and his wife in their places (whatever they were) when it was the _Lieutenant _who was in charge of this mission, and then chalked it up to the drinking water. The world seemed to have lost its mind since he'd become a SeeD member, with everyone he was paired up with looking to him for direction. But even as he thought this, he couldn't help but admit that he had been more than just a little uncomfortable listening to their blatant intolerance and disrespect to those who fought. He supposed they had a right to their own beliefs but to insinuate, through attitude alone if not verbally, that their way of life was wrong made it more and more difficult to sit through the meeting on the whole. Unlike Zell though he couldn't find it in himself to get angry or even offended, more disappointed than anything else.

And even if it had been his place, there wouldn't have been a point in telling them that they had a skewed way of looking at things. Squall sighed heavily, deciding that leaving the subject to drop through silence wasn't going to fly this time. "Do you honestly thing it would have made a difference if I _had _spoken up?"

"Yes," Zell answered. He sounded sincere and one look in his direction told the older SeeD that the brawler was being honest. Not that he needed to do so to know this to be fact.

"Okay, I'll give you that," Squall conceded grimly. "It would have made a difference. It would have made things worse than they already are. The Mayor and the people here are willing to help us if it means we'll leave them alone. This visit was about apologizing for the crash, something _we _caused, and arguing with them about principles would've made the whole thing more awkward and uncomfortable than it was for everyone involved. The only thing it _wouldn't _have changed is their perspective. They could've beaten around the bush about it but they chose to be honest."

As Squall continued to talk, Zell shoved his hands into his pockets and an irritated but sullen look formed into his features. "Besides," Squall continued, "you know as well as I do that there are people out there who resent SeeD. We both knew that long before we joined up. Their reaction really shouldn't have come as a surprise. You can't just expect everyone to welcome us ashore with open arms, it doesn't work that way."

"Doesn't stop it from biting," Zell muttered. But then he sighed in exasperation, cursing under his breath. "Man, whoever said that pacifists were nice guys didn't know shit."

"Excuse me..."

Looking ahead, Squall took notice that Rinoa had whirled around and was currently barring their path, her hands on her hips in a reprimanding gesture that reminded him of Quistis. It wasn't a pleasant reminder and automatically Squall folded his arms across his chest almost defensively, wondering what she wanted to lecture them about _this _time.

Instead of just starting to voice her opinions like she always did, she closed the distance between them, her scowling seemingly deepening with every step she took. "_Just _because someone doesn't want any more trouble to come to their city _doesn't _mean you both can just start bad-mouthing them behind their backs! It's rude, not to mention _childish_, and even more so to bash them because their beliefs are different than yours. That's why we're called _people_. We have different things we believe in."

Squall's frown deepened as he wondered how much she had actually eavesdropped. Knowing that had she been actually listening instead of hearing what she wanted to that she _might _have realized that he had already said all of this, he felt his mood and his patience deteriorating. He also knew that once she got started on a tirade, there was absolutely no reasoning with her, so instead of pointing this out and making things even more awkward, he chose to keep his silence and wait for her to finish.

"I'll admit that they could've been nicer about it, but they obviously have their reasons not to trust SeeD or military factions. They told us they came from Esthar and, last I checked, they were the military brutes of the world, and that's not even _considering _who was running that country. So really, who can blame them for holding onto these ideas of peace so tightly while abhorring military powers? And _they're _not the _only _side who're disdainful either. There are people out there who only fight to solve their problems and they denounce anyone who just wants to talk it out."

Removing her hands from her hips, Rinoa opted to fold them across her chest instead, almost like she was mirroring Squall's stance. "So you should probably think about _that _before you start bad-mouthing the locals again."

She looked rather smug with her dressing down, and the sight grated on Squall's nerves for some reason. He knew she had a good point, it was the one he had made moments before, but somehow Squall couldn't help but bitterly wonder if her reaction was caused by what was said or because of what had taken place within the last couple days. While her words were logical, they were filled with anger, the same kind of anger she had unleashed on him that day in front of the elevator.

That feeling of bitterness had taken over and he told himself that he didn't really care either way. It wasn't relevant or important. "If you're done," he said coldly, his voice level, "We're about to lose sight of the Lieutenant."

The smug expression dropped from her features as her jaw hung open in her shock. But then anger chased the shock away, colouring her face an angry purple colour. But before she could retaliate, the trio was drawn away as the Lieutenant called out to them. Looking passed the raven haired girl, he spotted the elder woman returning from further up the ramp as she made her way back towards them. "Okay, what exactly is the problem this time?" the Lieutenant asked in exasperation when she reached them.

No one answered her. Rinoa had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed, and Squall sure as hell wasn't about to explain the hold up. Zell looked torn, looking between the pair, but then the Lieutenant sighed, seemingly realizing she wasn't about to get an answer. "Whatever it is, I hope you've got it out of your system. I don't know about any of you, but _I _would like to return to the Garden so that this whole day isn't a complete..."

She trailed off suddenly, her gaze shooting passed the two SeeDs in her sights. Turning around, Squall was surprised to find the Mayor's wife stalking towards them almost purposefully. He wondered dully if she had anything to add to her husband's earlier explanation but shook the thought away. Zell stepped back a bit, his expression darkening somewhat. More than likely the brawler didn't trust himself should the woman add anymore commentary to her thoughts about SeeD and the military and was physically making sure that Squall stood in his way should he attempt to do something they would all regret.

Clearly, Zell wasn't the only one who's mood had soured since the last time they spoke to Flo. "Well I hope you're all _happy_," she said and, despite the softness that was her voice, there was an anger that hadn't been there at the meeting. Squall's stomach tightened at this knowledge. Could something have gone wrong since their arrival to FH?

"We all _knew _it was only a matter of time," Flo continued as she made her way towards them, carefully climbing down the stairs of her home and stopping in front of them. "But you all seem to work fast at drawing unwanted attention to yourselves."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" the Lieutenant asked as she moved past both Rinoa and Zell, thus directing the irate wife's attention.

"I'm _talking _about the attack. The one that happened at the Train Station just _minutes _ago!" Flo answered heatedly, as though annoyed at their ignorance of the situation. "There are reports of Galbadian soldiers entering the two from the station attacking us. They must think we're harbouring you, it's the only reason why they would do this. They're here because of you, I'm _sure _of it. Why would they attack a little town like us when it's obvious that _you're _the ones they're after? Don't go bringing other people into _your _war!"

"The Galbadians are _here_?" Zell exclaimed in shock, his anger having dissipated from the news. "Here? When? _How_?"

"You don't listen! Like I _said_, from the Train Station!" Flo answered with an exasperated and impatient sigh. "I'm certainly glad we didn't rely on _you _to stop them after all. Who knows what disaster would have happened with the negotiations if we had."

"Negotiations?" Squall echoed in alarm, his stomach sinking even further at the implications. "Don't tell me he's planning on _reasoning _with them."

"Of _course _he is," Flo responded confidently, almost smugly. Squall felt sick with the answer but wasn't allowed to say anything as the Mayor's wife continued to speak. "That's _our _way of dealing with conflicts. Orion and Vinzer are old acquaintances, back from before the war's end. Surely they'll be able to come to an understanding that will resolve this conflict in no time."

"You _idiot_!" Zell suddenly raged, though he looked more panicked and incredulous than angry at the moment. "Deling's _dead_! He's been dead for _two weeks _now because the Sorceress killed him! _She's_ the one who's running the whole _damn _country and _she's_ probably the reason you're being attacked now!"

The Lieutenant threw him a glare that told him to shut up, but it was the look that Flo fixed him that was the most chilling. It was a cool look, one that was usually reserved for something as small and insignificant as an insect, or something else irritatingly annoying. Either Flo was prepared to gamble her husband's life in order to uphold their beliefs of piece, she didn't believe her husband would fail in his negotiation, or she didn't believe them. Squall supposed he couldn't blame her for the latter option, but at the same time he should have at least seen some sign of worry in her features.

"But you don't know that for sure," Flo said in a tightly controlled voice. "If you're telling the truth and Vinzer truly has passed on it doesn't change matters. The Sorceress is all powerful, everyone knows that, but she is still a woman, a _person_. And as such, she can still be reasoned with and it can be done so in a _peaceful_ way."

"I won't even dignify that with a response," the Lieutenant suddenly growled, her patience with the woman having run its course. "Where's the Train Station?"

"And why would you want to know that?" Flo asked, suspicion colouring her features in an effort to cover the shock that had formed seconds ago.

"Because I'm going to stop him from getting himself killed by the Galbadians," the Lieutenant answered. "Regardless of whether or not you believe what Zell says, the fact of the matter is the Galbadians are here, and we don't know why."

"Of _course _we know why," Flo responded heatedly, almost defensively. "I'm _staring _at that very reason right now!"

"No, it can't be because of us," the Lieutenant argued with the shake of her head. "We only _just _got here. There's not enough time to suggest the Galbadians would know where we are right now, and even then it's very unlikely. We suffered an attack from the Galbadians nearly a week ago and they have no reason to believe we came out of it unscathed. Whatever the reason they're here now, it has something to do with FH."

"And why would she want to attack us?" Flo asked. Her voice was far higher than it had been a few moments ago. "We have absolutely _nothing _she could possibly want! We're a small, peaceful town that hasn't done _anything _to warrant an attack on our people."

The elder woman shook her head stubbornly. Rinoa was looking between the Lieutenant and Flo seemingly at a loss for what she could do. Squall doubted anything the raven-haired girl said would help the matter, but he could understand her feeling of helplessness, at not being able to do anything and yet wanting to.

"No," Flo said, sounding certain once more. "No, I know what you're doing. You just want to sabotage the negotiations. You'll only make matters worse if you run in guns blazing, I just _know _it. I won't let you ruin everything with your violent solutions. This can be resolved _peacefully_. I just _know _it!"

"Fine," the Lieutenant said through a frustrated sigh before focussing her attention to Rinoa, Squall and Zell. "You three are to escort the Mayor's wife back to her home. Once she's secured, contact the Garden and report Galbadia's presence. I'll find the damned station myself."

The elder woman's face paled rapidly as the veteran SeeD whirled around to fix her with a look. "And you had _better _pray to Hyne that he hasn't died while I'm running around like someone took a cleaver and chopped my fool head off."

And with that, the Lieutenant took off down the street at a run, her boots thudding heavily against the metal plating and tracks as she progressed further and further away, leaving the trio behind.

Zell made an aggravated noise in the back of his throat and pulled at his hair, turning to walk in one direction but stopping short of one step and moving in another. He seemed torn between following orders or following the Lieutenant's lead. Rinoa was looking between Zell and the retreating Lieutenant, much in the same position as Zell.

But aside from registering each of the pair's movements, Squall paid them absolutely no attention, instead keeping his focus squarely on Flo, not sure of why but thinking that maybe the Lieutenant's words had struck a chord with her. He was thankful he did, because the paler did not recede, but she seemed nervous, almost unsure of her earlier resolve. It only lasted a moment. While her paler was still there, she steeled herself with newfound resolve, almost assuring herself that what she was doing was right.

It saddened him to see it, because he didn't think that she should have to sacrifice her husband's life for her beliefs.

"We can't just let her go off by herself!" Rinoa exclaimed in frustration.

"But we don't even know where the Mayor went!" Zell shot back. "We know where's he's gone, but we don't know how to get there! We'd just be running around and wasting time!"

Ignoring the rest of their arguing, Squall stepped forward and Flo looked up as he drew closer. "Where's the Train Station," he asked, mentally agreeing that wasting time was the last thing he wanted.

Flo started somewhat but then she made an agitated noise in the back of her throat, shaking her hair so fiercely some of the strands fell into her face. She didn't bother to brush them away as her hands were busy being fisted at her sides. "We've already _had _this conversation!" She practically shrieked before indicating the direction the Lieutenant had run. "_She _wasn't about to convince me to sabotage the talks, so what makes _you _think you can..."

"I've heard about the people in this town, both from you and the shore party," Squall interrupted. She gave him a sour look for the interruption that gave way to one of impatience, but she kept quiet and seemed to listen. "But the shore party told us that the settlers came from Esthar. That they emigrated from Esthar because they wanted to get away from the violent on-goings of the country. A Sorceress was in charge of them too, right?"

Her paler worsened at the reminder and she looked away, her eyes darting to the ground. Somehow Squall understood that she knew what he was about to say next, but he chose to say it all the same, taking advantage of her sudden indecision, her hesitance. "Adel was a tyrant. She waged a war across the ocean that lasted for _years _because she wanted to rule with an iron first. You've just told us that a Sorceress is still a person, that she can still be reasoned with. Tell me exactly what happened to the people who opposed Adel and tried to _reason _with her through _words_?"

The elder woman looked even more uncertain now. So did Zell and Rinoa, who exchanged glances between one another. Squall ignored them, barely registering the movement as he kept his attention focused on the Mayor's wife. "Your _husband_ is trying to reason with the soldiers who have attacked your town. _They _are people too, but _they _also work for the Sorceress who will kill them all without hesitation should they choose to disobey their orders. So it doesn't _matter _if they agree with your husband or not, because they will follow their orders regardless, if only for their own self preservation. So unless you want your husband to turn up like every single one of those people who chose to _reason _with Adel peacefully, you will tell us where the Train Station is. If you don't, then he will be left to make a mistake that _none _of you will _ever _be able to take back!"

She was trembling by this point as his words were sinking in. Seemingly still torn between upholding the town's beliefs and saving her husband she worked her mouth open and shut like a fish underwater. The longer she hesitated the more desperate he began to feel, knowing that if they didn't act now it would be too late to save FH's leader. But then Flo raised her arm and pointed a shaky finger in the direction the Lieutenant had run in. "Down that way," she said. "There's a forked path along the train tracks through the city proper. Take the left path and it'll take you to the square right in front of the station."

And then she lowered her head and took in a shaky breath. The stance was almost shameful, like someone who had been forced to tell a secret they had been sworn to keep. Her gaze settled onto the train tracks beneath their feet, but the look she had was one of someone who's thoughts were far away, unseeing of the surroundings.

Relieved that he had managed to convince her, Squall turned away from her in a bid to give her some privacy before addressing what he had to say next to Zell and Rinoa. He had the information. He knew what to do next. "You two take Flo home and contact the Garden as the Lieutenant ordered."

He turned away, but then Zell's voice stopped him. "Where're you going?"

"To keep the Lieutenant from making a mistake of her own," Squall answered simply. Before anyone could stop him, he ran off after the Lieutenant and left Zell and Rinoa behind, hoping that he wasn't too late...

* * *

Xu continued to curse as she continued her run along the road, eyes open for trouble as she warned the civilians nearby to return to their homes. No one listened to her and instead began to gossip amongst one another, their looks flicking in her direction. She blamed it on the uniform. It was obvious she was part of a military faction just by looking at her, so it was a small wonder the locals were busy gawking and gossiping rather than listening to her warnings.

She had known she would be attending this diplomatic meeting. It had been the reason she had chosen to continue wearing her uniform, if only to present a semblance of professionalism that would ensure the officials would take her seriously. She had become aware once she'd met with the Mayor that it had been unnecessary, almost unwarranted even. And the longer she stay in this city, the more she became convinced that had she been dressed in casuals they might have heeded her warnings and taken her seriously.

It was only when she forced herself to stop and order the people into their homes that they did so reluctantly. She heard the mutters as they went about their way but didn't stay behind to give them any notice, instead focussing on her goal. But even as she did, she knew it was hopeless so long as she didn't know where the Train Station was. She could be running around in circles for all she knew and thinking back she realized she should have asked for directions. The thought was removed from her mind when she remembered how cooperative the wife had been. It was more likely they would spit at her than be helpful.

As she ran, her hands reached to her hip holster in search for the secure weight of her glocks, only to come up empty. It only took her a second longer to recall that they had been confiscated and were currently sitting in a bin near the Garden, waiting for her to reclaim them upon her return. She cursed again, knowing that she had no other alternative than to resort to para-magic.

As she turned the corner, she spotted the first tell-tale signs of the enemy. The sight of one of the hulking lumbering GIM47N's told her that she was at least headed in the right direction. Reassured, her focussed on her junctions, preparing herself for the moment when she would strike. That moment came quickly and she threw her arms out, lashing out with a wave of wind energy filled with concentrated saturated energies that were primed into sharp needle-like precision. If the Galbadians had learned anything at all from their numerous skirmishes with the Estharians or SeeD, then they would have coated the machine with an alloy that rendered spells useless. But if the spell was wielded and manipulated properly, even paramagic could penetrate the otherwise resilient metal.

The blast flew forward like a revolving blade and effortlessly slashed through the legs of the machine like a hot knife through butter. It fell forward along the ground with a loud thud that was sure to attract the attention of its humanoid allies, but it exposed the wires that ran up its tin can feet. Acting quickly, Xu threw another spell forward, charging forward as she watched the Thundaga spell hit its target. The charge ran through the circuitry and the short-circuited the wiring. It went offline just as she ran passed it.

The response to the attack was immediate. The silence that had been broken by the _clank _of metal falling atop metal was further shattered as gunfire greeted her charge. She was forced to skid to a stop as bullets pierced the ground, some just inches away from her feet. Bringing up a protect shield to stave off the attacks, she directed her attention upward, taking in the sight of a Galbadian soldier who was perched atop one of the numerous towering windmills littering the city.

Cursing again, Xu leapt back as another round blasted from his weapon with enough force to throw her hand askew and to dispel the shield. She knew then and there he was a sniper, mixing in his shots with the automated gunfire from the soldiers who had set up a patrol, who had taken up the post that the machine had held moments prior. Her attention was forced away as another shot blasted out from a different direction and, ducking into a roll, she dodged the blast. She looked around for any sign of the second sniper but was not granted enough time to investigate as the soldiers in front of her resumed their attack.

But then she heard thuds from around her. She could've sworn that she only blinked before she found herself completely surrounded by soldiers, their weapons primed in case she attempted anything. She realized they had been prepared for interference, that they had led the attack to end with them at the advantage. But Xu also knew that SeeD was trained to deal with tactical disadvantages, and she was no different.

Pressing her palms down onto the ground, she conjured up a gust of wind that forced the soldiers up into the air, giving the illusion that they were floating. She retrained control of the spell, reigning her arm in before throwing it out, the wind imitating the effect of a shockwave and sending the soldiers flying. Some hit the walls of the surrounding homes or other structures while others weren't as fortunate and toppled over the track-like bridge, falling the huge height before they hit the water below with a low _cracking _sound she could only have heard aided by her junctions.

"SeeD!" One of the recovering soldiers shouted. Xu whirled around and was barely able to spot the soldier on a communications device before there was a barrage of gunfire that suggested machine gun volley rather than the slow precision shot of a sniper rifle.

Thinking quickly, Xu threw up another protect shield that pelted away the bullets aimed for her. Impressions dug into the paramagic as the only sign of impact, reminiscent of pebbles skipping across water. Catching movement from behind, she brought her foot up and conducted a roundhouse kick that sent her would-be assailant falling into the train tracks. The act took very little of her concentration and she was thus able to maintain the shield as she landed in a crouch. Throwing out her free hand, she blasted the soldier back a step before she was suddenly knocked off balance from the side.

She landed hard against the tracks and winced as a dull throb ran up her leg. She would have been worried if she hadn't been junctioned. Her GF's took away most of the pain, preventing it from registering. Unfortunately, even the small amount of time she needed to recover was enough to render her surrounded once more, the three soldiers before her aiming their submachine guns at her at point blank range. Even with junctions, there was no avoiding the hit that would end her.

Gritting her teeth, she mentally cursed as she ran through what dismally few options she had. No matter how many of these guys should go take out, one of them would finish her off. But then one of the soldiers suddenly rose up off the tracks and his attention turned from the pinned down SeeD to the invisible force that was dragging him further and further away from solid ground. His gun was no longer aimed at her as his arms flailed around in an attempt to slow his ascent but it was useless. Eventually, his weapon fell to the ground with a clatter and as his comrades watched on in shock before he was forcefully thrown into them, knocking the three men off the bridge before Xu could capitalize on their distraction.

"Another one's advancing!" Someone shouted from ahead of her before raising his weapon and taking aim, his comrades following suit. She turned around to see who it was and scowled darkly as she took in the sight.

Having emerged from around the corner, Squall threw both hands out in front of him, conjuring up ice that stretched the ground beneath the soldiers feet before they could open fire. The ground, now slick with the frigid element, knocked them off balance as they went to steady their aim. But then ice spikes rose up from the ground, running through several of the men while pinning others in their place.

But the spell didn't trap or kill everyone in range. Several men dodged out of the line of fire, having expected an offensive barrage of para-magic only to be left unscathed by the defensive attack. One of those men charged into melee range in an attempt to prevent the young SeeD from following through with more ranged attacks. Seemingly prepared, Squall ducked underneath the right hook and stepped back out of range of the left follow through before raising his leg and snapping out, the sole of his boot knocking into the soldier's chin. Before the soldier could fall away, Squall lashed out with both hands and grabbed him by his uniform. Seconds later, he was using him as a step ladder, climbing onto the man's back before leaping upward, knocking the unfortunate soldier off balance. He was then ripped apart by the automated fire of his comrades who had aimed for the now airborne SeeD.

Squall managed to catch a hold of the side of the building and was in the process of prying himself over the edge. The position was precarious, leaving the younger man vulnerable and as the soldiers attempted to take advantage, Xu lashed out with her spell and watched as the water that stood on all sides of them further fuelled her spell, conjuring the equivalent of a tidal wave. Before they knew what was what, the soldiers were swallowed by the torrent as the streets became flooded with the unstable element. Together, both the ice and water melted away, leaving the soldiers on the ground laying there either unconscious or too dazed to think straight let alone recover.

Catching movement along the rooftops, Xu snapped her attention around, fully expecting to see one of the snipers advancing to another location. Instead, she caught sight of Squall charging away at a full on run across the roof, jumping between the gaps as he closed in on his own target. Realizing that he must have spotted the sniper from her blind spot, Xu gave chase on the ground, keeping the younger SeeD in her sights at all time.

_Speaking of snipers, _Xu mused as she very barely managed to avoid another gunshot, tucking into a roll and landing in a crouch against the closest building. She had almost forgotten that there was more than one. Concentrating on her spell, she threw her arm out in the direction of the shot and watched as the Firaga spell burst into life right where her target was taking aim to finish her off. The rapport of steady gunfire was replaced with that of a man's death cry as the fire burned through metal and cloth, through skin.

She didn't stick around to witness the damage she had caused but understood that the sound would alert other soldiers to their position, and thus threw her hand out. The burning soldier was suddenly obscured by the ice spike that rose up from below and caused his perch to explode with broken wood and splinters. With its arrival, the screaming stopped.

But the silence was short lived. She heard another scream coming from further down the path and when she looked up, she spotted Squall with his hands against the metal of one of the windmills further along. The next thing she noticed was the flailing arm of whoever was inside and it clued in that he was utilizing paramagic to electrocute the second sniper. Silence followed shortly after and Squall aborted the spell before proceeding to climb down off the roof.

Xu was waiting for him when he reached the ground with her arms folded and a scowl creasing her features. Truth be told, she was impressed with his ingenuity and how well he had managed to handle himself, but she wasn't about to encourage. Not when he'd disobeyed orders to do so. "I gave you a specific order..."

"Zell and Rinoa are contacting the Garden and escorting Flo home," Squall cut in. The interruption only caused Xu's scowl to deepen.

"So just what the _hell _do you think you're doing?"

"Providing cover, sir," Squall answered with a verbal shrug.

The answer peaked her curiosity and as a result the elder SeeD raised an eyebrow, silent permission for him to proceed. He did so. "You are the Garden's Lieutenant. As such, you're privy to vital information that we can't allow the enemy to get their hands on."

"And you're suggesting that I can't take care of myself," Xu cut in flatly. It was less of a question and more of a statement the way she had phrased it, yet she was surprised when Squall shook his head in answer.

"I'm only suggesting that you could use some support. With all due respect, sir, everyone has their limits. Zell and Rinoa are more than capable of protecting the Mayor's wife alone until reinforcements from the Garden arrive. By accompanying you to the Train Station, we can cut the time we take to deal with the soldiers in our way in half, which will increase our chances of rescuing and securing the Mayor."

"That's great and all," Xu said at a moment's length, silently appreciative that he went so far to think ahead. But there was just one thing missing. "But we don't even know where the Train Station is. Even if we work together, it won't mean anything if we can't even find the place we're looking for."

"That's the other reason I came," Squall said, seemingly having expected this objection. "I managed to convince Flo to tell me how to reach the Train Station."

Xu couldn't hide the shock of this revelation and had no idea how he'd managed such a feat, not when Flo had been adamant to follow her husband's beliefs the last time they had spoken. What had happened after she had left, she didn't know but Squall didn't allow her the opportunity to find out. Instead, he pointed straight ahead, in the direction they were currently headed anyway. "Up ahead there'll be a fork. We're to take the left path that will lead to the Central Square just in front of the Station. That's where the Mayor is now."

"What if she was lying just to get you off her case?" Xu asked curiously, though there was a consoling measure to the words that soothed her wounded ego.

"While it's true she was willing to let her husband get in harm's way to uphold their beliefs, I don't think she'd willingly get him killed just to avoid involving us," Squall answered. Xu was surprised to find that he actually believed that. "I think we should follow these directions. It's the only thing we have to work with, and I think she sincerely wants us to reach him in time."

After another moments consideration, Xu nodded in agreement. "It's better than what we had minutes ago. Alright, have it your way. The more we argue, the less likely he'll still be in one piece by the time we reach him."

* * *

She was fast beginning to realize that the worst part of knowing that a fight was brewing was the waiting. Unable to help herself, her thoughts went back to Timber, to that summer that felt like ages ago. She felt like she understood Seifer a little better now, having always complained or made fun of him whenever he lost patience with something or someone. The arguments they would have after that had at the time seemed important but now it seemed so trivial, so juvenile. She could now understand why people like Zell fidgeted so badly when there was nothing to do but wait for something to happen.

Resisting the urge to shadow Zell and pace, Rinoa was currently sitting in one of the chairs of the make-shift meeting room on the ground floor. The aforementioned blonde fighter was currently on the phone talking to the brass at Garden and informing them of the situation and of their immediate need for backup. Flo was upstairs safe and sound, having announced upon their return that she would like to be left alone. Another urge the raven-haired girl was fighting was the one to check in on the elder woman, who had looked so shaken as they had escorted her back.

Chewing on her lip nervously, her gaze kept falling onto Zell's back as the SeeD obliviously continued to make his report. Of course they needed reinforcements, because they didn't know just how many soldiers had been sent to the city. Enough to make a commotion, even though one soldier armed to the teeth would have been cause for alarm for these pacifists. Even still, they risked making matters worse before making them better, because Rinoa knew under no uncertain circumstances that they would fight their way into town before relinquishing their weapons at the knowledge of the enemy stirring problems. And what consequences would that provide SeeD? Would the citizens revoke their earlier offer to help with the repairs? Would they send them on their way, cautioning them not to drown?

Rinoa shook her head of these thoughts, fully believing these people to not be so cruel. They were pacifists, holding life with the upmost regard. Sending them on their way as the Garden was now was the equivalent of murder, knowing the consequences of such actions. But wouldn't they lay the blame on their shoulders? That they had chosen a life of fighting and thus got what they deserved?

Deciding more and more that she disliked waiting, she wished she had opted to chase after Squall and help back up Xu. At least then she would be doing something useful. They were probably the best SeeD had to offer (in her less than humble opinion anyway), but even they wouldn't be able to face they odds that were stacked against them alone for long? Would they even be able to wait for the reinforcements to come?

Zell hung up the phone, startling the raven-haired girl from her thoughts. Thankful for the momentary distraction, Rinoa rose up from the soft cushiony seat like someone had lit a match under her and Zell needed no urging to get on with it. "The Headmaster said he can have a squad of SeeDs ready to dispatch and help clean out the Galbadians," he explained. Rinoa frowned, not knowing why the brawler looked so unhappy at the prospect. He got the help they needed.

"But..." Zell added and Rinoa almost groaned, realizing she should have known there'd be a catch. "It's gonna take at least a half hour to get everyone mobilized."

"But that might be too late!" Rinoa gasped.

"Yeah," Zell snorted, "that's what _I _said. But no one's prepared to fend off the Galbadian threat. Everyone's been cooped up inside the Garden, regular routine's been tossed out the window. Add the fact that almost everyone on the inside's a student and we've got a clusterfuck on our hands."

He cursed again, grabbing at his head with both hands as he started to pace the width of the room. Rinoa's scowl deepened as she considered their options, not liking at all the knowledge of Garden's lack-of-readiness. Weren't they supposed to be prepared for anything? Or was she holding them at too high a regard, expecting them to be just as paranoid as Squall seemed to be most days.

But a sudden idea caught her attention, causing her head to shoot up and out of her train of thought. "What about the guys at the front?

Zell frowned in confusion. "What about them?"

"They have our weapons, don't they?" Rinoa asked. Zell nodded in response to the simple question. "What if we called them, told them what was happening? Maybe if they knew it was a matter of life and death, they'd bring our weapons to us?"

"Nothing short of a nuclear bomb's gonna get them to go that far," Zell said with a sigh. "And even then they'd probably rather die."

"But there's gotta be _something _we can do!" Rinoa exclaimed in desperation. "Sitting here and waiting isn't going to do _anything _to stop the Galbadians! Xu and Squall are powerful, but even they can't stand up against an army of soldiers! We've gotta do something, even without weapons!"

"Yep, I agree," Zell said thoughtfully before he suddenly stopped pacing and clapped his hands together. "So we'll go out there and back 'em up, least until reinforcements show up.

Rinoa resumed biting her lip at the thought. It was a great idea, a means to keep the Galbadians distracted at least until back up arrived, but she couldn't help but ask herself would she and Zell be enough of a threat to capture the soldiers' attention. Zell didn't need weapons, he was capable of fighting hand to hand, but Rinoa knew she would be solely dependent on magic, and she wasn't even that good in her opinion. She could hold her own but the pathetically weak and limited number of spells that she knew, but against a large number of people she didn't have a prayer.

The second reason for her hesitance was currently resting upstairs. What if the SeeDs didn't know where to go because they were busy trying to be heroes? That would waste even more time, time that neither Xu nor Squall could afford to waste. Flo was a huge target, something that the Galbadians could use as leverage to secure SeeD's surrender. "What about Flo?" She asked, having left Zell's suggestion hang in the air for what felt like an eternity.

"What about her?" The brawler asked, looking confused.

"What if the Galbadians decide to use her as leverage?" Rinoa asked. "You know, like a hostage or something."

"They'd have to get by us first," Zell answered, as if that solved the whole thing. Rinoa's frown deepened, thinking back to her earlier concerns over their ability of holding the area. "As long as we keep the Galbadians from advancing, they can't _possibly _reach her. And they're on the opposite side of town, so there's no chance they can get the jump on us and flank us."

Rinoa still hesitated and Zell seemed to sense her worry because he sighed. "Look, you were the one who said we needed to get something done, right? So let's go do something instead of sitting on our thumbs and waiting for something to happen."

The raven-haired girl sighed in consent, not completely convinced that they could pull it off but willing to try nonetheless. _Anything _was better than just waiting. "You're right. Even without weapons, we could at least stall them, right?"

"Exactly," Zell agreed enthusiastically. It occurred to her that Zell had been desperate for a means of action like she had been. He almost looked relieved that she had agreed. "We've done it before. How hard could it be this time around?"

* * *

The Town Square looked like a warzone.

He could tell as much through the monitor in front of him. The stone-like ground was charred with scorch marks caused by fire spells, riddled with bullets from the initial advance of the Galbadian soldiers. Bodies lay like crumbled heaps against the ground, though most of them had already been dumped over the edge by the men who now patrolled the grounds, their gazes empty, their figures motionless. What had once been friends, family, or both, were no more than empty shells of their former selves, their lives having been cut down by the sudden attack of the advancing army.

The perimeter was being upheld and maintained, regularly patrolled in shifts by soldiers in constant motion while others had advanced forward in an effort to accomplish their goal, the very reason they had come to this wayward town.

Taking in the scene with bored indifference, Seifer Almasy failed to stifle the yawn that sneaked up on him, using the back of his hand to cover his mouth before stretching. This task was so bothersome and beneath him. It was an insult that he was even being charged with the surveillance duty in the first place. He did not complain though, did not dare voice his annoyance and irritation at such a meagre job.

This was his punishment. On top of not having any of the dreams he had looked forward to since Hyne knew how long, Seifer was forbidden to enter the field under any circumstances, at least for now. The only means of which he was permitted to survey the numerous operations that were currently in flux was through the eyes of the surveillance equipment the field teams were sanctioned to bring. It offered very little in the means of the situation and he was thus dependant on the numerous reports he was forced to endure from the soldiers in command of these posts.

He'd long since lost count of just how many outposts there were or just how many reports he'd been forced to endure. The saving grace of it all was the knowledge that he could at least leave during intervals in order to vent out his frustrations on the poor witless fools who just happened to be in the training arenas. Failing that, there was always the Training Centre, filled to the brim with monsters who had no idea that their deaths would be met by the irate Knight's gunblade.

He would've given anything to be training and killing the monsters that roamed the artificial environment but instead it was time to check in on the fuck-heads who couldn't do anything without Seifer there to hold their hands and guide their movements. The only thing that kept him from protesting such a weak use of his very numerous talents was the Sorceress, and the knowledge that it had been his fuck up that had brought him to this very predicament. He had known that the team sent to the Idle town of Fisherman's Horizon had occupied the town but he needed a status report on their findings. After several more reports he would then meet with the Sorceress and update her on the situation.

_"So far I haven't heard word back from my men," _Lieutenant Parks reported from the other side of the screen. He could still barely make out the soldiers behind, patrolling in a circle in a sight that almost made Seifer rethink that what he was tasked with was the worst thing he could be doing. At least here he could escape to train. _"But the operation is running smoothly. The civilians are not offering any resistance as far as we have heard. It was almost _too _easy to occupy this town, sir."_

Seifer yawned again, not bothering to stifle it. Parks frowned slightly, no doubt taken back by the Knight's lack of interest but he was smart enough to keep his opinions to himself. "Good," Seifer said through the yawn before forcing himself to sit up in his chair. His feet still remained resting atop the dash, one cutting across the other's ankle in a relaxed position. "Keep looking. I wanna be able to look Sorceress Edea in the eye when I tell her you guys looked _everywhere_."

_"Sir, yessir,"_ Parks saluted, but the sight of another soldier advancing drew Seifer's attention away from the sergeant. The soldier was glad in blue, the sign of an inferior rank, but as he drew closer, even Parks couldn't ignore the man's presence.

Seifer was almost tempted to hang up on the Sergeant, already having learned what he needed, but something stopped him. Instinct, curiosity, call it what you will, but Seifer was suddenly interested in what this man had to report. It was at least a welcome distraction. If he was late checking in on the other squads, he could blame it on this weasel, particularly if it wasn't important and downright dull and stupid.

_"Sir," _he heard the soldier start as he fell into a salute. _"One of the civilians is requesting to cross through the perimeter. He's demanding to speak to the person in charge."_

_"Shoot him and be done with it," _he heard Parks snap. _"We don't have time for delays."_

_"But sir, he's claiming to be the man in charge of this place," _the soldier protested. _"He introduced himself as the Mayor. He says he's not leaving until he speaks to the man in charge."_

Seifer stroked his chin thoughtfully as he watched the scene unfold, but the latest bit caught his attention. If this dumbass civilian was who he was claiming to be, then he'd have firsthand knowledge of the whole place. At least it would prove to be a distraction, even if it only lasted for a few minutes.

Parks sighed in what sounded like exasperation. _"Fine, bring him over."_

He turned to the screen as the other soldier ran off to comply. Immediately Seifer knew what he was planning and he had no intention at all of speaking to this loser. "You heard the man," Seifer said with a shrug. "He wants to speak to the guy in charge. Have fun with that."

Parks face fell, a sign that Seifer had been right in his assumption. _"But sir,_" he protested.

Seifer didn't give him the chance to continue. "You're the guy in charge of this group. Unless you don't think you're up to snuff..."

Parks looked alarmed at the suggestion and Seifer fought to keep his expression stern when all he wanted to do was laugh at the pitiful expression on the man's face. The fearful look of being reprimanded for not doing his job and, worse, for not being _capable _of doing his job. _"No, of course I can, sir," _Parks said, his voice a little higher than normal. _"I can handle it."_

And with that, Parks turned and went to address the situation. With the Lieutenant out of sight, Seifer finally allowed himself to snort and laugh. He didn't know what was funnier, the Sergeants expression when he threatened to replace him or the fact that the Lieutenant had planned to dump the stupid civilian on him.

All the same, he wished something interesting would happen. The spectacle of some guy demanding to talk to the soldiers had been entertaining while it lasted, but what he craved was for something that got his blood pounding, something exciting that would turn this dull desk job into something eventful. The only thing that seemed to be of interest was the search teams who were trying to sort out the Missile Base fiasco. He almost wished the Gardens had somehow been spared, because SeeD would at least afford him some competition.

_Yeah right, _he thought with a snort. With the 'successes' Garden had secured so far, they didn't have a prayer in this war, even if they'd somehow managed to avoid destruction. And it was a dangerous thing to wish all the same, because he knew that all the blame for the failure of that particular operation would fall squarely on his shoulders. He didn't need the Sorceress to be reminded of his earlier arrogance, of how he'd felt compelled to show off and run his mouth off to fucking Squall of all people.

With that thought in mind, he decided he no longer wished for the Gardens to still be around. He wished the missiles had rendered the buildings into numerous pieces of unsalvageable scrap-metal, and that SeeD had been blown to bits in the attack. The only regret he would have was the knowledge that he would not be able to deal with the blabbermouth himself. If by some miracle Squall did manage to survive, he swore he was gonna rip out the younger man's oesophagus for blabbing to the rest of his useless team and ruining such a good thing he had going for him.

But wishing and praying would get him nowhere. He couldn't change what was done and the only thing he could do now was to make amends for past mistakes and prevent further ones from ruining his perfect future.

So leaning back into his chair once again and making himself more comfortable, Seifer watched as Parks came back into view, unable to help his curiosity as he watched how the veteran soldier was planning on dealing with this idiot of a Mayor. Maybe if he was lucky, the man would turn out to be a liar and he'd have the opportunity to watch as the soldiers made an example of him.

A guy could only hope, right?

* * *

**04/05/12 - **_Had to edit this part, otherwise commentary from a later chapter would not make sense. I can't believe I didn't spot the typo sooner, sorry guys._


	33. Chapter XXXI: Playing God

**Edited: **_07/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXI:**  
**Playing God**

* * *

A barricade had been set up upon the brief yet chilling report they had received minutes ago. The team who had made the report could no longer be raised again, a grim sign that their attackers had gotten to them. No more attempts were wasted on the radio, instead they went about securing the area and protecting their own lives.

Erecting metal panels that rose up from the ground, the soldiers fortified the area, weapons raised, waiting for any sign of movement further beyond. There was only one way the enemy could come from, so they focused their sights ahead. Riffles were held at the ready, the backs resting against shoulders that grew weary with the strain of holding their position. Other weapons, shotguns, pistols, were primed in a single direction. Having had advanced warning was probably the only thing that prevented such an ambush.

But when the two figures that were in fast approached finally appeared, the Galbadians knew exactly who they were and opened fire, hoping to riddle the advancing pair with bullets before they could come even a hair's width from them.

Almost like they had been choreographed, both SeeDs raised their protective shields as they advanced further, the paramagic absorbing the attacks and causing them no harm. When the soldiers were forced to break off their attack to reload, the pair unleashed their own attacks. Bolts of electricity cascaded from above, almost completely levelling the blockade and forcing the soldiers back to avoid becoming casualties of the attack. The slowest moving ones were the least fortunate and lay on the ground, some dazed, not knowing what happened, while others didn't move, having been rendered unconscious or worse.

The ones who were quick finished reloading their weapons and opened fire once more. Others found the futility in armed weapons against the likes of SeeD and focussed more on paramagic, wielding the energies and utilizing it in their favour. This failed to stop them or even slow them and the pair carried on as though their interference was nothing short of an annoyance.

The Lieutenant used what little remained of the blockade to propel herself up into the air, over the two soldiers who had tried to intercept her holding shotguns. She landed behind them, her spell already cast as the armour clad men were wrought with the powerful Thundaga spell. She had missed them, but the metal they stood had sent the current right into her target anyway, the metal they wore only enhancing the unpleasant experience. When the spell finished its course the pair fell to the ground, weapons clattering along the tracks as their bodies twitched from the access energy.

Meanwhile as Squall slipped over the remains of the barricade, he aimed low and tackled one of the remaining advancing soldiers by the legs. This resulted with the soldier's face hitting the metal beneath him, taking the brunt of the fall and leaving the young SeeD virtually unscathed. Recovering from the tumble, the youth rose back up onto feet that barely touched the ground beneath him before he was forced to dodge and block another soldier who was using his shotgun as a bludgeoning tool. Squall managed to knock his attacker back with the force of his block before he threw his hand out behind, having sensed another presence from that direction. Using his junctions to channel the spell through his arm, he allowed the energy to spill out through fingers that were splayed across the metal the soldier wore. Before the soldier could so much as twitch, he was filled with the electric current of the spell before falling back with an agonized scream. Barely paying him any mind, Squall finished with his original attacker, ducking from another swing of the shotgun before tripping the man and forcing him hard onto his back against the ground beneath their feet.

Both SeeDs finished with their attackers at just about the same time and barely had to signal to each other before they proceeded down their path, almost as though the interruption hadn't happened.

"Send out the SAM08G!" Squall heard one of the soldiers beyond another barricade call out. Pouring more energy to his legs, the youth increased his speed and rushed at the soldier he spotted on the communication systems as he threw his arm out in front of him. A blast of wind knocked the man off his foot and into the base of the rising track behind him, his comrades left behind to either watch his progress or to hurry up and follow the issued order. Either way the soldier, dazed from the sudden collision of body and steel, could do nothing but scream as he plummeted over the side and into the watery depths below.

Unfortunately the damage had already been done. Up ahead, a dull _thud _that rocked the train tracks they ran upon as what looked like a giant crate was dropped down a few yards further ahead. The Lieutenant suddenly stopped her charge at the sight, causing Squall to stop just a couple feet ahead, taking in the container and wondering about the sudden caution. There was a look in the elder woman's features he hadn't seen before, and it didn't bode well for them if whatever was inside the crate was cause for concern.

Suddenly, whatever was inside rammed at the walls that surrounded it and caused huge indentations to mar the otherwise smooth metal. Seconds later, another dent formed followed by another and then another, until it looked as though someone had pressed large fingers through an elastic-like substance forcing it to meld and stay that way. before either SeeD could properly prepare themselves, the door was suddenly propelled off its hinges and sent flying towards the pair, who very barely managed to dodge at the last second, the door landing with a loud metallic _clank_ as it hit the ground behind them.

But silence did not follow the thunderous noise. From beyond them dull _thuds _came from within the crate, sounds that didn't lessen the sense of foreboding that had filled the pit of his stomach and whatever it was finally emerged.

It wasn't anything at all like he had ever seen. In fact, it even gave those strange monsters from the Presidential Residence in Deling a run for their money. The SAM08G, as it had been called, was a metallic blue mutant crossbreed between an alligator and mechanical equipment. Its shoulders were the size of a football player's shoulders - padding and all - though it looked like weapons had actually been grafted into them, which caused the addition to size. Even if the creature was pushed down against the ground, it wouldn't lie flat due to the strange things. It's tail lashed out and anything and everything close by and it roared loudly like some kind of battle cry before it suddenly charged straight for them, causing the ground to quake with each step it took.

"Oh _shit_!" The Lieutenant cursed loudly, drawing Squall's attention to her. "Back! Get _back_!"

The youth did as he was told, backing away from the monster-machine hybrid as it advanced towards them. He saw from the corner of his eye the Lieutenant throw both arms forward, the palms flat and facing the SAM08G and seconds later fire balls blasted from her hand and slammed into the advancing creature, stirring up smoke from the collision. Unfortunately, the monster emerged through the smoke, the fire spells having done nothing.

Squall was starting to see why the Lieutenant was worried.

"God-_dammit_," Lieutenant Xu cursed again, even as Squall looked for any weak point he could exploit. From the distance he wasn't getting very far and he was close to cursing himself. "I was afraid they would set that on us eventually..."

"What is it?" Squall asked, not entirely sure that he wanted to know.

"It's a living weapon," the Lieutenant explained. "An experiment conducted by the Galbadian military years ago, when they were fighting Esthar. Last I heard, the project got scrapped because it couldn't tell the difference between friend or foe. From the looks of it though, I'd hazard a guess and say they finally managed to resolve that little issue."

"Either that or we're the field test," Squall added, noting grimly that no matter how far they backed away the living weapon was closing the distance faster than they could set it.

The living weapon roared loudly once again before shifting so that it's shoulders were pointed downward. Squall had a feeling he knew what was about to happen and he was right, because what sounded like machine gunfire blasted into the ground repeatedly as the monster slowly raised its shoulders, the line of fire travelling along the ground and headed straight for them.

Lieutenant Xu added quickly, stepping forward until she had positioned herself between Squall and the monster before bringing her arms back up again. The machine fire blast raised off the ground as the monster hefted its weapons at the same time that she conjured her spell. The blast collided with the blue protective shield but the kinetic energy of the attack was so powerful that it knocked both SeeDs off their feet and onto the ground a few feet away. With a groan and a wince, Squall slowly began to pull himself back up, the Lieutenant following suit.

"So with the project having been scrapped," Squall managed through a wince, "I guess it's safe to say you don't know how to stop it."

"Good call," the Lieutenant quipped sarcastically. "Close quarter combat is out of the question, especially with those cannons on its shoulders."

Squall almost balked at the declaration. He hadn't known exactly what those things were but _canons_? The fact that it could stand let alone walk was a miracle in itself.

"But never mind that," Lieutenant Xu continued. "You're still junctioned to Quezacotl, right?"

He nodded in response to her question. "Good, we're gonna need all the help we can get. We'll have to get past that stupid coating the Galbadians like putting on all their machines. Somehow I doubt that even precision attacks with spells will cut it this time. When I give the order, you summon Quezacotl to finish it off."

Squall nodded once again, though he was unsure of exactly how the Guardian Force would help them out. Granted they were far more powerful than anything SeeD could muster on their own, but even then they had their limits. For starters, they would still need to create a puncture big enough to blast the attack through, and even then it would take precise aim to hit the mark. On top of that he had the Lieutenant to worry about. He would have to time everything perfectly in order to hit the monster and avoid frying the elder woman in the process. Add to the plan a couple of cannons and the fact that they wouldn't be able to cut in close and the risk increased by at least ten fold.

He frowned to himself, knowing that there had to be a better way, an easier one, that at least ensured that they both came out of this encounter alive if not completely unscathed. But then the Lieutenant was moving, stepped forward and opening fire with paramagic in a means of keeping the monster's (machine's) attention focussed on her.

Squall resisted the urge to curse and ducked back down behind the barricade they had initially charged over, taking in everything and waiting for the right opportunity to make his move. The Lieutenant meanwhile opened fire with a steady stream of paramagic, the blasts running off the armour like water. Squall's biggest concern was the knowledge that they would have to puncture the armour without the assistance of bladed weaponry. There's was at the front of the town, and the soldiers that had seemingly had them all but surrounded moments prior seemed to have retreated, something that gave the youth pause to wonder if they really had worked out all the bugs in the SAM08G's system, or if they decided it wasn't worth the risk to find out for sure.

Not knowing what to do and not liking it one bit, Squall gave into the compulsion and cursed under his breath before his gaze shifted the ground beneath them. The sun blasted off the metal tracks along their bath, glinting in the daylight hour with a glare that forced him to squint and turn away. But the sight was already routed into his mind, and he realized there _was _another way after all.

Directing his gaze forward once more, he watched as the Lieutenant ducked into a roll and dodged to the side as the monster lunged forward with a speed that was uncanny, slashing at her with a clawed hand that swiped at air instead. Slowing the creature turned and was pelted with more spells in retaliation. Instead of worrying about his superior officer, he instead forced himself to watch the SAM08G more closely, as closely as he could from his position. He suddenly realized as he took in the sight of it that while the majority of it was metal, there were still parts of it that retained the fleshy consistency of skin and scale it had when it had been alive (and not perverted into what it was now). Moreover, it was its feet that was especially fleshy and, he realized now that he thought of it, that its footfalls were more like _slaps_, dull and quiet, as opposed to the heavy mechanical _thud _that normally came from metal clanking against metal.

Like the Lieutenant had said, it was a living weapon. And, like any other living organism on the planet, a vast percentage of its body was made up of water. He realized then and there that they didn't _need _to tear a hole in its armour. All they needed to do was get it to stand onto the tracks. Quezacotl would do the rest. The Lieutenant must have already figured this out.

But staying at range wasn't going to help them. Of course one misstep would spell obliteration at close quarters, but they weren't going to get the creature to stay on the tracks by constantly backing out of range.

With that in mind, Squall pulled himself up onto his feet, a plan of his own formulating. As long as he kept moving and just out of reach of the living weapon, he could guide it into position before finishing it off.

"Get back," the Lieutenant warned, having reached his position. "It's moving again!"

But instead of falling back as ordered, Squall jumped back over the barricade and, despite the elder woman's shocked exclamations, proceeded to close the distance, fully intending on attracting the monster's attention.

* * *

They did everything they could to mobilize as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the public address had been fixed, so gathering the remainder of SeeDs forces had been easy enough and thus saved the Headmaster the time and effort it would take to gather them all one at a time. It also eliminated the possibility of missing a few stragglers who could otherwise not be located in time.

They had been assembled within the ball room - the only space big enough to house large numbers of people without being too obstructive - and briefed on the situation. It was as if a switch had been hit upon the announcement. Gone was the merriment of people on leave, people who were calm and at easy. They had been replaced with the soldiers they had been trained to be, the men and women of the Garden who had always fought the Galbadians for a price from their client. Now, there was no client, only a town under siege by their decade long enemy, and it had fallen to them to stop it, no matter the cost.

When they left the briefing, instructed that they would only have minutes to prepare and arm themselves accordingly, the SeeDs left without hesitance, without one word of complaint. They knew that their own participation was risky, not just taking into account of the danger that lay ahead should the Galbadians be luring them out into the open, should they have known of the botched missile launch that should have killed them all. Fisherman's Horizon was a peaceful town with a strict law against belligerence and they would be breaking that law by ushering into town with weapons drawn, preparing to do battle in the streets of this small town. They would be risking the diplomatic mission the small shore team had been sent on just so they could save the lives of these people. It was a double edged sword.

Moreover, they were convinced that they were not to target of these attacks, that for some reason the Galbadians had taken notice of this town and had invaded with an objective in mind. What that objective was no one knew, but their first priority was to stop them in their tracks before anymore damage could be done.

So it was with practiced speed that the SeeDs prepared, knowing they would do battle but also knowing that they would be doing so without weapons. Many thought this to be outrageous, that in a time where so many lives were at stake the people of Fisherman's Horizon would hold onto their beliefs so strongly as to hinder their sole chance of survival. Many did not complain, also knowing that they had the Guardian Forces on their side and the paramagical energies they wielded since the beginning of their training. That could not be taken away from them, at least not by any means these villagers possessed.

But whatever the means they chose to protect this city from the Galbadians, everyone knew that time was a luxury that no one had...

* * *

It continued towards its prey, the constant _slap, slap, slap _of feet hitting the ground barely audible. It noted how the targets retreated rather advanced, though the data it had received upon firing its weapons at them proved that it was the source. They were keeping their distance to avoid being obliterated by the 155mm cannons it totted on each shoulder. The weight barely registered, barely hindered it at all as it continued its approach.

Its internal network comprised of its directive had marked the two individuals at the end of the street almost immediately after emerging from its handling container, the moment it had laid eyes on them. The organic enemy would be no match for its mechanical prowess because, unlike the other machines the Galbadians had constructed, the SAM08G still retained the predator-instincts that the organic part of it had possessed while alive. Combined with the artificial intelligence program that the Galbadians had started and improved meant the enemy's chances for survival had shrunk to infinitesimal.

The prey continuously backed up as it stomped its way towards them since its emergence, but then one of the ducked behind one of the burned out barricades while the other continuously pelted it with magic. It knew better than to write off the prey who was hiding, that neither one of them had given up. It was more plausible that they were setting up a strategy to bypass or immobilize if they could not kill it. Even knowing this, it continued its approach, because there was very little either of them could do to stop it.

But then the one who was hiding jumped back over the barricade and started at a run, despite his companion's startled and shocked shouts for him to stop. He ignored her and continued to run right towards the SAM08G in what was clearly a suicidal charge.

It had already scanned the pair when it had first emerged from the metal box and thus it already knew they pair possessed no weapons. But it still held up its guard, the implanted intelligence regarding SeeD operatives clearly reminding it that the force was known for relying heavily on paramagic and Guardian Forces and that weaponry was an adequate defensive procedure to use in the event that the prior two options were unavailable or proved ineffective.

Regardless of the danger he was putting himself in, the male SeeD continued his charge. In retaliation, the SAM08G took careful aim and opened fire with its shoulder cannons. But the youth was quick, managing to avoid most of the weapon fire as he ducked and rolled out of the line of fire, the blasts taking out chunks of the ground instead of blowing him apart. Whatever he was too slow to dodge he managed to deflect into the ground with a precisely positioned protect shield. Behind him, the woman was running forward and throwing paramagic at the living weapon, as though trying to provide even the feeblest kind of distraction. Because the attacks did nothing, the SAM08G was not deterred, the paramagic sliding off its armour.

Ignoring the onslaught uncaringly, it suddenly revolved on the spot and swung its tail at the male SeeD, who had just reached striking distance. Again, the youth was quick and jumped the attack like it was some kind of thick skipping rope. The living weapon reversed the action to catch him off guard, but the result was the same though the youth jumped back out of reach. It opened fire once again with its cannons and both SeeDs dodged in opposite directions, the blast colliding with the bridge and sending up chunks of metal into the air for its effort.

The male SeeD moved more to the left with the female in close pursuit. It changed tactics as well, moving to intercept them. Raising its hand, the SAM08G swiped down with the intention of rending the youth apart with its claws, but once again the attack was dodged. It occurred to the AI that something was wrong, that the female SeeD was doing all the attacking while the male didn't so much as raise a hand against it. It was maybe a second after this revelation that it realized the truth, that the male was trying to get _behind _it, if only to flank it.

Realizing that a change of tactics was in order, the SAM08G brought its shoulder around in an attempt to intercept his movements. The SeeD ducked the blow but he was unable to dodge the swipe as it followed through with its arm, resulting in the youth being clothes-lined and ending up sprawled out on the tracks below. With a savage roar, the living weapon raised its foot and slammed it down to crush his head in. Only the male recovered quicker than expected, and brought his hands up in a protective stance. Mere flesh and bone would do nothing to stop the monster-machine hybrid, but it was still deterred by what it realized seconds later was a protective shield.

If a machine could feel emotion then frustration would be overpoweringly present. But this was not the case. Instead, it saw its prey attempting to save himself through use of paramagic. And even paramagic was susceptible to certain forces. It only took a second for the SAM08G to calculate how much pressure it could apply before the shield would be overpowered before it raised its foot again and slammed it down. Again the youth was quick and he rolled out of the path as the foot crashed into the ground.

Before it could followed through and open fire, another spell was pelted at it from its right. Turning to investigate, it caught sight of the female throwing spell after spell at it. They weren't meant to hurt it, it surmised, more to distract it from her comrade.

It worked, but not for long. Ignoring the female SeeD, it turned its attention towards the agile male and spotted the youth in a crouched position, palms thrust forward as particles of paramagic began to collect, swirling around his form. Its sensors indicated that this was not the normal levels of paramagic, the ones that came with simple spell casting, and it was quick to draw up the next logical explanation.

The SeeD was preparing to summon.

* * *

Squall could have cursed when he saw the living weapon turn its attention away from the Lieutenant and focus on him, but held his tongue and continued to concentrate, knowing now that time was precious and that his next move had to count. After ducking and dodging and keeping his head from behind pounded into a pulp the creature was _finally _in position. Not only its feet, but it's tail was in contact with the metal tracks and all he needed now was one powerful and well placed electrical attack to finish this fight off.

He was so close to summoning Quezacotl, so close to completing the connection that would bring out the Thunder Bird, but just as he sensed the magic beginning to form the living weapon did something completely unexpected. It opened its mouth.

The next thing he knew, a blast of white light flew from the open maw, charting a course right for him.

Aborting the summon with a curse, Squall brought his hands up in front of him, and switched tactics. The attack happened so fast, there was no time to dodge and evade it, so he went for the next best option, feeling the familiar spell form through his palms. The hastily crafted protect spell took most of the impact, but it was still powerful enough to throw him up off his feet and back several meters away. He hit the ground hard, rolling on his side for another few feet before he was able to stop his momentum and spring up onto his hands and knees.

There was a ringing that seemed to overlap any other sound and because of that he was barely able to hear the Lieutenant's startled shout. He assumed it was an after effect caused from the blast, by his close proximity to the blast. He raised a hand to his head, feeling moisture dripping along the side of his face and when he brought it back to look, he was startled to find blood on his fingertips. He felt more of the moisture from his lip and knew he must have coughed it up from his rough collision with the ground. Not wanting to think about what would have happened had he not been junctioned, he forced himself up into a crouching position, scowling as he momentarily lost his balance - another side effect from the blast.

He didn't know what they were going to do. The AI would prevent them from attempting another summon, and with it knowing what they were up to it would be suicide to resume close quarters fighting. The only thing he could think of to end the fight quickly was to somehow get it to fall off the bridge, though he assumed it would be asking far too much for the living weapon to fall for something so simple. Casting float wouldn't help either. Even if he somehow managed to get the spell to stick the sheer weight of the behemoth would make holding the spell for very long impossible. Being that it was currently standing in the middle of the road, he wouldn't have nearly enough time.

The situation was a hopeless one, as hopeless as his field exam in Dollet where he and his team faced another machine with an AI installed. It had been a miracle that they had managed to escape with the skin of their backs, and when he tried to remember how they had managed to hold it back he was reminded grimly that they had had weapons at their arsenal. In particular, the gunblade had come in handle, carving a hole into the armour that had allowed Thunder spells to penetrate into vulnerable wiring and systems.

Squall evaluated their options and noted with a heavy stomach that they were very few. Paramagic did absolutely nothing. They couldn't even piss it off to make it mess up because it was a machine with no emotions. The only way to do something _was, _sadly, close combat. Rising up to stand and fighting to keep his balance at the same time he forced himself forward to continue the fight. The Lieutenant, having gained the monster's full attention, was batted away by a backhanded swipe by the time he entered melee range, and then the creature suddenly turned on him. It seemed like the creature had labelled him the bigger threat of the two and he steeled himself as the living weapon attempted to knock him back.

Squall ducked the swipe, falling into an awkward roll in an instinctive attempt to avoid further injury, but when he looked up as he landed into a crouch, he found himself face to face with the creature, having accidentally dodged towards it rather than away. Instinct took over and the youth brought his hands up in front of the monster, pooling together the first spell that came to mind as quickly as he could gather the scattered energies. In the back of his mind, Quezacotl stirred, warning him of an impending attack and he could feel the heat of the monsters weapon powering up, lending strength to the junctions concerns.

Everything happened almost simultaneously. Squall released the hastily formed spell, feeling water gush from his outstretched hands and blasting forward in a torrent that was like that of the equipment used to put out fires, watching as the element blasted into the machines opened mouth. After a second, the machine seized up, shuttering and sparking as its internal wiring came in contact with the liquid, a sight that was a bad sign. Squall aborted his spell in exchange for trying to get away, even as he spied the first signs of malfunction. Bright sparks shot out from between hinges and bolts and its spasms grew worse, its movements grew more clunky, more uncontrolled. He registered the attack before it came but his reflexes weren't quick enough and the next thing he knew, he'd been batted out of the way, landing sprawled out on the ground a good distance away from the machine.

And then it exploded, the combinations of live wires and water had been lethal to the machine and resulted in a blast so powerful it shook the bridge and knocked both SeeDs off balance. Squall, who had barely managed to lift himself up by the elbows just seconds before the explosion, found himself falling on his side from the shockwave before rolling over and landing on his stomach. Shrapnel and debris were sent flying in every direction, with bits of metal hitting the ground with such force they caused little dents and even holes in their wake. He pressed low to the ground, as low as he could, to avoid the flying pieces and winced when he heard the hard impacts with the ground, knowing that at any time they could collide with him instead of the metal surface.

Eventually, the sounds of shrapnel colliding with metal and wood slowed before it stopped altogether. Slowly, Squall raised his head and lowered his arms until the hands were pressed flat against the ground before pushing himself back up onto his knees, taking in the destruction around him. The silence that followed the concussive explosion was so deafening it added a ringing quality that was unnerving, chunks of debris littered the torn up ground. All that remained of the SAM08G was a burning exoskeleton. The fused alligator-machine hybrid fell to the ground with a dull thud, one that the lacked enough force to quake the structure beneath their feet, the frame bereft of its armour.

"That was both stupid and reckless," Lieutenant Xu spoke from above. Looking up, Squall spotted that the elder woman had recovered faster than he had, though she still appeared worse for wear from their encounter. But it was the aggravated and rather pointed look she was fixing him had him on guard.

"But it worked," he offered as he slowly picked himself up off the ground. He winced from an ache that shot up from his ribcage and suddenly was well aware that he needed to visit the infirmary. _After _this was over with. They still had the Mayor to find.

"All the same," the Lieutenant continued, seemingly conceding the fact. She then extended her hand forward, a silent offer to help him up. "_Don't_ do it again."

Staring at the hand and taking in the sight of the seriousness in her expression, he nodded grimly as he took her hand. "Yes sir."

* * *

When they'd reached the landing of the ramp that led away from the Mayors house, the pair had realized grimly that the streets had been overrun by the Galbadians. With Squall and the Lieutenant having headed to the Train Station, there was a grim possibility that they had been overtaken.

And yet, he didn't think so. Surely, the pair would have caused enough of an uproar that would have seriously lessened the number of soldiers if they had been taken in. And if they hadn't, the number of soldiers made even less sense. That left only one alternative reason. The Galbadians weren't just attacking from the Train Station like everyone had assumed. There had to be a second team advancing from the ocean.

It was with this thought in mind that Zell and Rinoa had instigated the coming fight, drawing the attention of the soldiers from their attempting occupation of the city (though it looked more like they were searching for something than trying to orchestrate a takeover). Between the pair, they were able to hold off a good number of the soldiers through spells and, when failing that, Zell got in close, proving to the idiots why weapons wasn't a big deal for him.

It was by no means easy though. Rinoa was forced to stay at a distance as she blasted the enemy with spells and it was difficult for Zell to continuously draw their attention towards him. Rinoa wasn't junctioned, though fortunately the soldiers didn't appear to notice, because if or when they did she would instantly become the target and there wouldn't be much the brawler could do to stop them.

But just as he thought they were about to be overrun anyway, Zell heard Rinoa's shout to duck and instinctively hit the ground. But then, when he expected an attack from behind, he watched as the soldiers in front of them were drawn to something else behind _them, _and caught the sight of residual magic from an attack. But there was just too much of it to justify that Rinoa had anything to do with it, and he was about to investigate when he heard one of the soldiers shout. "SeeD's here! They're advancing from behind!"

Almost instantly after the shout, Zell noticed as a large portion of the Galbadian forces turned their backs on him in favour of the larger threat. The brawler mentally cheered at the announcement, knowing that it was their reinforcements coming in to save the day.

Unfortunately, there were still soldiers who knew he was a big enough threat to justify not turning away from him, but it was definitely a step up (or down from their perspective) from the number he had been presented with earlier. So he bounced back up onto his feet and charged quicker than any of them could react. Throwing a fist forward, he felt his knuckles slam into the bone that was one soldiers jaw, throwing the man's aim wild as he squeezed the trigger almost instinctually.

The other soldiers primed their weapons but Zell kicked out one foot that landed into the stomach of one of them while he slammed the side of his hand into the side of the head of the first soldier, knocking him into the line of fire. His body was riddled apart by gunfire before Zell did a flying leap at the soldier, his feet hitting the man in the chest and knocking him into a nearby lamp post along the bridge. The soldier slumped against it and did not stir.

"Come on!" Rinoa shouted as she ran passed. How she'd managed to get around the soldiers Zell had no clue, but she was quickly gaining speed as she ran down the street. "Now's our chance!"

"But..." Zell started as he directed towards the Galbadian solders.

"SeeD's here, they can take care of them! Let's go help Squall and the Lieutenant!"

Zell was torn between assisting the SeeD members and running off after Rinoa, thinking that maybe if they stuck around long enough, they could direct the SeeD members to the Train Station. But the thought flew out of his head when he remembered that time wasn't exactly on their side. The longer they waited, the less likely the Mayor was going to live, regardless of Squall and the Lieutenant's interference.

There wasn't very much that only two of them could do, but one of the things they _could _do was to help stall for time.

As if to further fuel this belief, the sound of an explosion suddenly ripped through the distant air. His attention drawn to it, his stomach tightened as he caught the sight of smoke billowing from further on ahead. Both SeeDs had definitely run into interference, and he was hoping that they hadn't become a casualty of whatever the hell had happened up ahead.

So without further argument, Zell sprung back up onto his feet and ran full out along the tracks, catching up to Rinoa almost too easily. Without a word exchanged between the pair, they continued to barrel down the street hoping that they weren't too late.

* * *

_I apologize for the short chapter; I really do hate them and if I had realized just how short this one would have been, I would have combined it with the previous one. Unfortunately, such is not the case, so instead I will try to make it up to you guys by posting the next chapter earlier than I had originally planned. _

_Now onto the changes._

_So the introduction of the Living Weapon was a spur of the moment thing. I originally did want to introduce the creature as a weapon, since it's a new machine that we wouldn't have seen aside from the Missile Base and the exchange in FH, but when I looked up the monster to figure out how to describe it and even go about it, a light bulb kinda clicked on and thus the chapter went as it did. Can you tell I had fun writing this fight? I mean, it's not every day that I get to use these characters as a punching bag after all. _

**07/12/10_ - _**_I added a scene in the middle to involve SeeD a bit more, and expanded on Zell and Rinoa's confrontation with the Galbadians a bit, if only to extend the length of the chapter and to further explain why the SeeD back up didn't arrive as quickly as they should have. Plus, I always hated the abrupt way I ended this chapter initially. It's still shorter than I wanted it to be, but I really couldn't think of anything else to add._

**04/04/12 **_- Managed to extend the length of this chapter by a couple thousand words. Also managed to add more action and tweak a couple of things that didn't make sense. Hope it works out.__  
_


	34. Chapter XXXII: Arsenal

**Edited: **_07/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXII:**  
**Arsenal**

* * *

When he had first been assigned to this detail, he had suffered from low morale and disappointment. Being sent to monitor detail was a sign that he wasn't trusted by the Sorceress, not enough to be sent to do some real work. It was frustrating, knowing of the injustice and not being able to voice it, so instead he had settled in an aggravated silence that was regularly disturbed to vent his anger at the witless soldiers under his command.

He had other places to follow up with but he couldn't be bothered to switch channels, particularly when something amusing and interesting was finally happening. He'd thought this assignment was going to be a waste of time, filled with constant reports of the soldiers progress of their own jobs. Not once had he entertained the possibility that he would actually _enjoy _it.

Currently, Seifer sat back in his chair with his feet propped up onto the control console and he had the sudden craving for popcorn to munch on as he watched the events unfold on the screen before him. Never before had he ever thought that he could laugh so hard, but his stomach was cramping to the point where he thought he might actually die. Not particularly the way he would have wanted to go, and most definitely not the most glamorous way to kick the bucket, but at least he would go out with a smile. or so he told himself.

The old geezer who had demanded to speak to the soldier in charge was still there, talking the Lieutenant's ear off and speaking with the patience of a senile old goat who knew he was crazy but was trying to convince others that he wasn't. At first, Seifer had been convinced that this was a joke or a prank but as the conversation progressed he'd started to wonder before eventually he was left without a doubt that the guy was serious. Seriously out of his gourde.

He wasn't the only one taking entertainment out of the one-sided debate. He caught sight of several soldiers exchanging smirks and covering snorts as they passed by the monitor. He would have called them on the misconduct and told them to resume their posts with the seriousness demanded of the situation, except he knew he wouldn't be able to hold a straight face through that one. The old man was like a broken record, telling them all about how the villagers had started up this place after running away from Esthar during the last war, and how they built their principles on pacifism and thus couldn't _possibly _have done anything to provoke them and blah, blah, blah, over and over and over until he thought his ears might bleed from having to hear this crap.

_If he starts building a campfire and even _tries _to get everyone to start singing 'Kumbaya', I'm taking pictures._ _No one would believe me otherwise, even if I _am _the boss_.

There was one person who wasn't laughing at all and that happened to be Lieutenant Parks, who looked so stern faced he might have been chistled from stone if his frown didn't constantly grow deeper and deeper as time went by. This was also increasingly apparent each and every time the soldier reached for his gun. Seifer would stop him of course, ordering him to keep his temper and to remember his mission.

Of course the mission had nothing to do with the safety of the civilians of the cities they invaded. The Lieutenant could wipe out the entire village and Seifer wouldn't have batted an eye in protest. It was just that the sad little old man was just too hilarious to kill right away and this was the most fun he'd had since being placed on this detail, the most beautiful of all distractions from this horrible task. It didn't mean they weren't going to kill him _eventually_, and Seifer hoped that it would be just as entertaining as listen to the shit annoy the hell out of the Lieutenant.

But eventually even that started to wane in entertainment and Seifer found himself recovering from his laughing fit. Twenty minutes had come and gone, all of it filled with the man practically falling over himself to 'negotiate' the city's safety or whatever the hell it was he was trying to accomplish. It most definitely was _not _trying to appease them, or at least it couldn't have been, since the scowl on Parks' face kept getting deeper and deeper still. Even the soldiers were beginning to take very little notice of this noisy coot, a signal that the fun and games had just about run its course.

So it was with great pleasure that Seifer delivered the good news to Parks, that he could wrap up the conversation and end the little shit before he could impede them anymore than he already had. Leaning back, he stretched his arms behind his head and waited anxiously for the next course of entertainment.

* * *

There was only so much shit a person could be expected to trudge through.

That was Lieutenant Davis Parks' view on life. Everything you did was an upward struggle, and the easy way out always came at a price, usually a steep one. As someone born into a hardworking family, shortcuts were never an option to him. His father never abided by it while he had been growing up and it was a sentiment instilled within him even after enlisting into the military.

It took a long time, a lot of years of sweat and toil but Parks climbed the ranks to get to where he was today. He refused to take the easy road by making nice with the higher ups, by ratting out his platoon or his squad mates. He refused to be a rat, instead inspiring to be loyal and trustworthy, completing each and every job he was given and giving credit where credit was due. It was the reason that, once he managed to achieve a rank of superiority, he had garnered the respect of his men, because he respected them in turn and it did not take very long for them to realize this.

Parks had the patience of a saint. He had sat in numerous interrogations, in thousands of meetings with figureheads of higher pay grade than he could ever hope to achieve and swallowed the swivel they spewed, the pretty words that made them look good. Parks had the upmost faith in the Galbadian Regime, in his government and overall his country but he also knew that it was run by people and that people were flawed, that they were bound to make mistakes. He also knew that human beings were greedy, that they would do anything and everything within their power to elevate themselves, usually without a care to those who were caught in the crossfire.

But listening to this Mayor repeat himself over and over again about how Fisherman's Horizon and its citizens had done no wrong to anyone and that they were a peaceful community who simply wanted nothing more than to be left uninvolved from the worries and the wars that took place in the world, was taking its toll and had after the first five minutes of listening to this crap. Hyne Almighty, this old coot did not know how to _shut up_!

His men, normally respectful of him and his rank, could not help but snicker at his expense while he was forced to deal with the old dodger. He didn't miss the snorts and chortles and wondered how they would feel once they returned to base, where he made them remember just who it was in charge. While he gave them the measure of respect that well trained and dedicated soldiers deserved, he could also be a grueling taskmaster, refusing leniency and mercy when it came to punishing insubordination or disrespect.

But he could not punish the Sorceress' Knight who he had heard laughing at his expense through the communications console nearby. He had known that this task had been dumped onto his own lap simply because Sir Seifer would have none of it. Worse was the knowledge that this seemed to be a simple distraction from the norm for him, a source of entertainment. Humilation crept up on him whenever he was ordered not to harm the civilians, knowing that the order itself was crap.

But then, after twenty minutes of torture, Parks finally received the blessing reward for his patience. Sir Seifer imparted on him the order to finish the conversation before returning to his duties and the Lieutenant grinned humourlessly before he abruptly cut the Mayor off from repeating the mantra for the millionth time. The old man appeared taken aback at being interrupted but Parks was way past caring. "Look old man," he said with barely restrained loathing. "I don't give a shit about this stupid town or any of your pathetic achievements through peacemaking. I am here to conduct my job and, because of you loving the sound of your own voice, I've wasted twenty minutes of productive time listening to you talk yourself in circles."

The Mayor looked even more taken aback, almost stunned to be talked to in such a way. Parks felt some satisfaction for shutting the man down and refused to let him get a word in edge wise, at least not until he needed him to. "We won't leave until we have what we're looking for, and you can either help us and get us out of your hair faster or impede our search and suffer the consequences."

Parks took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, working himself up to asking the very question that had started this twenty minute loop. "Now, where is Ellone?"

"But I've already _told _you!" The Mayor exclaimed suddenly, causing the other soldiers in the area to start somewhat. Parks simply stared at the man without sympathy, without care. "There is no one in this town with that name! I've never even _heard _of that name before! If I knew something about this person, then I would tell you, I promise you I would!"

Parks' scowl deepened as the man continued his insistence. The answer had remained the same, regardless of threats. Initially he'd thought the old man to be lying to him, to be covering for Ellone's escape, but now he wasn't so sure. The man was stupid enough to lie, and even if he were Parks could see no sign of deception in the coots face. He was insane, a couple screw loose for sure, but he was being completely honest with him.

It meant they'd wasted their time coming to this stupid place to begin with.

"Fine," Parks said abruptly and he watched the old man's face drop, a sign that told him he thought he wasn't being believed. "Men, gather the gear and fall back. Radio the others and tell them to do the same. We're leaving this shithole. The target isn't here."

"You're leaving?" The Mayor responded, unable to keep the hope out of his voice. He looked like a little kid on his birthday, having just received the one gift he'd been looking forward to getting this entire year. It was almost a shame he'd have to stifle this hope, but it wasn't exactly his problem after all.

"Why waste our time in this dump when we could be doing more conductive searches for our objective?" Parks asked impatiently.

"Oh yes, your right of course," the Mayor started babbling and almost rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You'll want to get on right away then, right? Wouldn't want to waste to daylight."

"Not so fast, old man," Parks said gruffly, not at all taking kindly to the elder man's attempts to rush them along. "We still have some _other _business to attend to before we finally leave."

The Mayor's face fell once more, this time looking like someone who'd just been told their pet had been run over in the street. "But what business could you _possibly _have with us? I've told you everything I know! Ellone isn't here!"

"I know, you idiot!" Parks snarled. The elder man, who had closed the distance between them in order to make his protest (and thus invaded the Lieutenant's personal space) stumbled back, almost as if the soldier had back-handed him. Parks could only wish it were true. He turned his back on the old man before addressing his soldiers. "Okay men, you know the drill. Bring out the torches, start up the fires. I don't want to see even one building not covered in fire by the time we leave here!"

"But we've cooperated!" The Mayor protested, clearly not understanding the situation. "You say you understand that I've told you everything and yet you're burning us to the ground? Why? For what?"

"To eliminate possible hiding places, of course," Parks answered cheerfully, the prospect of watching this shithole burn lifting his spirits some. "Just because we haven't found her here _now _doesn't mean she may not eventually flee here. Why waste the resources in searching a place twice when you can search once and burn it to the ground, ensure she can't possibly hide here now."

"But we could _help _you!" The Mayor protested, his tone betraying his devastation. "If she even sets foot in town, we'll know! We'll tell you if she does! We'll even bring her to you ourselves! Please, you can't burn our town, you'll kill us all!"

"Exactly the point," Parks spat. "That _is _the order we have been given. Leave nothing and no one behind once we've completed our search. I have to thank you, you old crone. If you hadn't answered us so honestly, we would've never finished as quickly as we have. You've most definitely saved us some time. If it makes you feel any better, our orders were to burn this place even _if _we found her."

He couldn't help but laugh at the horror stricken look that took up the Mayor's features. In a state of shock, the old man could only open and close his mouth like the fish these idiots named their city after. But he was startled out of his laughter when the man suddenly lunged at him. Surprised, Parks brought his arms up in an effort to defend himself thinking that the old coot had finally lost it and was attempting to attack him. He was somewhat disappointed when the Mayor simply latched onto the front of his uniform and, from his kneeling posture, looked up at him imploringly.

"Please! Don't do this, I beg of you!" His pathetic face was coated with tears that were pouring out of his stupid eyes, leaving a trail along reddened cheeks. The sight made him look all the more pathetic and Parks tried to unleash him in disgust. "There are good people who live here! Please, don't kill us, we've never raised a hand against anyone in our lives! Please, you'll doom us all!"

"But that's part of the point," Parks barked out before finally deciding to grab the old man instead. He gave no resistance as Parks hefted him up by the scruff of his shirt, the flip-flop sandals he wore falling to the ground without a noise as the Lieutenant brought the annoying man to eye level. "And I think I'm gonna start with you."

* * *

He had heard all he needed to hear.

Without wasting time with hesitation, he jumped over the railing that barred him from entering the town square despite the protests of the Lieutenant, who seemed to think they should hang back and learn more about the situation. Landing in a crouch, he fell into a charge knowing that if they didn't act quickly there would be no Mayor left to rescue, no town to protect.

As he closed the distance between himself and the soldiers, he threw both arms out ahead of him, watching as a blast of fire burst out and into the nearest soldier, who had just alerted his men to the youth's presence with startled shout. The other soldiers acted quickly, even as Squall launched his spell a second time, this time hitting the soldier who was holding the Mayor square in the face. The man clutched at his jaw with a yelp of pain, dropping the elder man who fell right on his rear end. With a couple more quick spells, the path was clear and he found himself standing in front of the Mayor, arms stretched in front of him in a clear warning of what was to come should they attempt to get past him. Feet were also squared, in the event he had to brace himself for a charging soldier or if he was required to move.

As the Galbadians readied their weapons to open fire and Squall prepared himself to cast a Protect Spell, the enemy's attention was diverted when blasts of magic pelted at them from the direction he had come from. Fire and lightning danced through the air as the Lieutenant reached his position, throwing him a look of reproach before she directed her focus to the soldiers in front of them.

"SeeD?" The soldier in red exclaimed in shock after having recovered from the blast of fire. His jaw was a singed red, a sign of burns that would soon boil into blisters if they were not treated quickly enough. "Get them! Send in the Iron Clad!"

* * *

The soldiers scrambled into formation in what looked like a feeble attempt to retake control of the situation. Still, he could see through the slight shift in footing and the awkward stance and grips of weapons that they were unnerved to see the enemy of Galbadia. It was an unexpected and unpleasant surprise, a ghost from the past seeing as how SeeD was supposed to be dead.

Throwing his feet off the console before him he could only stare at the monitor that displayed all of this before his very eyes. He didn't know how he should feel about this, whether he should be frustrated and angry that the enemy had escaped, that they had made a fool of him, or excited and ecstatic that something interesting was finally going to happen, and not for just a short period of time from the looks of it. But Balamb was a several miles north of here, and water separated most of the gap. They couldn't have gotten here without transportation.

But then he thought about the survival of the SeeDs, and his mind instantly flew to the Garden and he knew, he just knew that it was the reason for their survival. It had to be. If SeeD survived, than the Garden could have. It seemed his earlier wish had been granted and somewhere Seifer found himself uncaring about the consequences or the implications of what this means as he stared at the very person who was responsible for sending Seifer into this hell. He still couldn't believe it even as he rose to stand, his gaze fixed to the screen as though mesmerized. Squall was alive and well. He had his opportunity to take his revenge. But he was stuck here in this stupid control centre monitoring the situation from behind a camera, miles away from the action and he gave a frustrated roar as he smashed his fists against the controls. _Why _couldn't he have gone with them, even if it was under the pretence of making sure the idiots did their jobs? Squall was _right there _and there was no telling how much longer the asshole was going to survive. If he would survive long enough to die by his blade.

Seifer recognized Squall as an accomplished fighter, the only one in the whole Garden who had been able to hold a candle to himself. Training with him every chance he got was all the experience he needed to know the younger man could hold his own in a fight. But he couldn't help but notice the conspicuous absence of the gunblade, like the SeeD had simply charged into battle without it. Squall was not an idiot, nor was he suicidal. There _had _to be a reason why he left it behind.

He told himself upon noticing the missing weapon that it might be better if he was away anyway, that had he gone to Fisherman's Horizon with this team that it would have been far too easy to take his revenge, to watch as the blood that fuelled the SeeDs veins drained away into the ground, staining the steel of Hyperion, on the fingertips of his gloves as the battle rage fuels his blood. It would be sort of anti-climatic to end things like that.

No, he wanted a battle that would be remembered for years to come. A battle of two worthy adversaries, at the prime of their lives, and the height of their capabilities, only one of them emerging from a fight to the death. The knowledge of defeating a challenge that Squall would pose would make it all the more worthwhile.

But then his eyes fall onto the other SeeD who has joined the party in the field and his bloodthirsty grin tightens at the very sight of her. He had never liked the brunette woman when he had been in the Garden. All of his memories of her involved disciplinary actions against the minor infractions he'd made over the years. The bitch was all about the rules, and it had gotten her promoted all the way to Garden Lieutenant. He had been so angry when he'd heard the news announced on the public address, because he knew she would do everything her power to prevent his elevation into SeeD. He tended to bend the rules whenever it suited the situation and she tended to frown upon that, making his life a living hell.

But he had never wanted her dead, at least not until after the most recent field exam. When she had spat those loathsome, hate filled words, that he would never be a SeeD, that even thinking of himself in command of others was a joke. He had wanted to rip her head clear from her body, feel the blood ooze through fingers, so great was the tunnel vision that channeled his rage, his indignation, of that very moment. Just thinking about it now still made his blood boil, but he managed to still himself, calm himself down to think rationally. He wouldn't kill the Garden Lieutenant, at least not right away. Of course dead would be the ultimate goal, but while she was alive she could afford the Sorceress with a great deal of Intel. A woman of her high rank would be able to give Sorceress Edea in the insight on SeeD that she wanted, needed. Surely, she would know things that any run of the mill SeeD would not.

As for Squall, well, Squall had a toll that was way past overdue. As far as Seifer was concerned, no one else would have the privilege of teaching him that lesson. That was a job for him and him alone.

With a difficulty that was almost painful, he forced himself back into his seat to watch the preceding scene unfold across the monitor, knowing that he could not afford to mess up again. His forces were preparing an attack, plotting out their next move while the two SeeDs went about protecting the Mayor, ensuring his safety. Seifer almost snorted, not envying the pair one bit, fully believing that the stupid little man was currently talking their ears off.

Turning his attention back to his soldiers, Seifer clenched his fingers into either armrests of his chair as he listened to Parks issue his orders, rally his men. He heard the orders quite clearly, they were going to attempt to capture the Mayor and hold him hostage, using him against the SeeDs to make them indecisive. That was when the soldiers were planning to take them out.

"Grab them _both _alive," Seifer cut in. He watched the Lieutenant press his hands to the side, a clear indication that he was trying to better listen to the orders he was receiving. "The woman is the Garden's Lieutenant. She has sensitive knowledge about the enemy that can be used to our advantage. The boy is the leader of the fugitives who attempted to assassinate the Sorceress. _He _is to be persecuted by my hand and my hand _alone_. Do you understand me?"

"Yessir," Parks answered into the mouthpiece and Seifer's grin grew even tighter as the Lieutenant relays this order to the rest of his men. Now it was just a matter of watching the coming battle and hoping that his soldiers didn't screw it all up.

* * *

It was the first signs of smoke in the air that had driven her to alarm.

They had started out at break neck speed once reinforcements had finally arrived, running down the track filled streets in pursuit of their comrades, eager to back them up before the Galbadians could overwhelm them in number. She had always been fairly quick, though not nearly as much as the sprinters of her high school. She was more or less a long distance runner, could run for long periods of time before needing to rest.

It had reminded her of a time in school where the gym teachers were testing out the capabilities of their students in athletics. She had been twelve years old then in a class filled with girls of all kinds, dark, light, skinny, fat, and so on. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses and the teachers wanted to see them perform their own right in gym class. So each of the girls were made to try out all sorts of exercises, from sports to track and field. Her thoughts brought her to her first attempts at sprinting, to how ragged her throat and lungs had felt, to how weak her legs had become, wobbling and burning at the slightest shift. How overall sore her muscles had been for the next few days.

As a result, she started slowing down far faster than Zell did though despite her assurances that she would catch up the brawler did not charge off ahead and abandon her, instead worrying that in her condition she might be prone for ambush from nearby soldiers. But then they spotted the smoke and she managed to draw out a second wind that propelled her forward despite her body's protests. She didn't slow them down again.

The smoke could mean anything. It could simply be the resulting destruction of Squall and Xu bypassing the Galbadians, or it could mean the reverse. Rinoa knew enough about the Galbadians to know about their toy robots and she most definitely would not put past a flamethrower wielding piece of destructive metal creature. The thought of the pair being charbroiled alive kept her moving, though she was running so hard it was difficult to hold her breath.

What they found - or rather _didn't _find - at the sight of the smoke had her both confused and relieved. Bits of broken debris littered the streets, chunks of the road having been blasted away by what had to have been a powerful weapon. Rinoa would bet money that it was the results of missiles, and instantly her mind went to one of the two common machines they were forced to deal with back at the prison.

But the lack of bodies was reassuring at least, because it meant that Squall and Xu could still be alive. But that was before she looked over the ledge and saw nothing but ocean below them. The bodies could have easily been washed away by the waters several meters below and if they weren't dead before they fell, then the fall itself would be enough to finish them.

There was one body they found on the bridge, a skeleton. She might have thought it was human if it wasn't for the hands that were actually claws and the almost reptilian look of the skull. It had to be a monster of some sort, but she'd never seen anything like it before. Something told her she wouldn't have recognized it even if it had skin and suddenly she wasn't so sure she wanted to know anyway.

"What the hell happened here?"Zell mused aloud as he took in the destruction. His tone betrayed his awe and his confusion, and she knew he was hoping the same thing she was, that the Lieutenant and Squall got out of the fight okay. There couldn't have been any other reason for the fighting to have happened if they weren't involved and to think otherwise was naive and ignorant.

"Who cares?" Rinoa asked, knowing that she didn't. "Let's just keep moving. That explosion might not have killed them, but there's no telling how long they'll be able to hold off against the rest of the army without us to back them up."

And before Zell could argue or even say anything, she was off again, running as fast as her tired legs could move her.

* * *

Ahead of them the soldiers were mobilizing, spreading out as they got into their positions. Wondering if they were preparing to flank them, he squared his feet and kept his focus on the armed men ahead, not allowing himself to miss the slightest shift, the smallest twitch.

Beside him, the Lieutenant shifted, her hands hovering over the spot where her handguns were normally situated along her belt, though the action only lasted seconds. It served as a grim reminder of the laws of this city, the ones that had resulted in the confiscation of their weapons prior to entering. The minute shift of her head told him she was doing as he had done, surveying the enemy and watching their every movements, just waiting for them to make the first move.

Once the fighting started, there would be no means of stopping until only one side was still standing. The GF's gave them an edge, but the soldiers outnumbered them and he knew they would use that to their advantage. There was no telling whether their advantages or disadvantages made or broke this situation, it was only a matter of what they did or how well they managed themselves. The Mayor being present was a complication, one that would have to be addressed if they wanted to stay alive. The Galbadians were probably thinking along the same lines and suddenly the pacifist was the weight that would shift the balance. Whether or not he would come out of this alive depended on how well the SeeDs could defend him.

He didn't know what possessed him to jump in the fray. He had known the Lieutenant was right, that they should have gathered more Intel, but the thought of allowing this man to die in order to learn the reason they were searching for Ellone had been unacceptable to him. He remembered his words to Flo, remembered how she had taken the risk to trust him and knew he would not throw that away by allowing her husband to die. It was an olive branch that she had extended, the first signs of cooperation - true and genuine - that had happened since they'd set foot in town.

Looking back, he spotted the old man on his rear, knees bent with feet splayed flat out along the broken ground, hands pressed against the same surface in a similar manner. His eyes kept flicking between the Galbadians and the SeeDs, seemingly unsure of who to trust but well aware of what was going on. The man seemed to not know whether to be pleased or alarmed at the sudden interference, only that it had bought him a few more seconds of life. The youth could see this in the man's eyes as they locked onto his own.

"Sorry," Squall said, suddenly feeling compelled to say something to this man, a man who only wanted to stop the fighting, to keep this town - _his _town - as safe and peaceful as it had when they'd left Esthar all those years ago. "But we have no choice."

Dobe's eyes widened at the declaration, understanding showing within but Squall turned away from the sight before he could analyze it further, knowing he could do nothing but prepare for the fight, brace himself for the soldiers who would attempt to deal with them.

"Stay with the Mayor," the Lieutenant said, her face slightly turned over her left shoulder so she could regard him while keeping an eye on the enemy. Squall nodded grimly back before she turned her attention away.

The fighting started instantly afterwards, the soldiers raising their weapons and opening fire without hesitation. The Lieutenant ducked and rolled with lightning quick reflexes. Squall stayed his ground and brought up both hands, the bullets hitting the shimmering blue shield that appeared from his splayed fingertips, protecting him and the Mayor from the deadly blasts. He watched as the veteran SeeD propelled her body forward in a somersault before lunging forward and tackling the closest of the blue clad men.

"Stay down," Squall instructed before squaring his feet as he spotted three soldiers bypassing the Lieutenant all together and charging straight for him. With the gunfire trained on the elder woman, Squall released his hold on the paramagic and simply ducked the overhead swipe of a short sword primed at his head. Throwing his arms forward once again, he blasted his attacker with fire before his junctions warn of an attack coming from the left. Whirling around quickly, he caught the offending soldiers wrist with his hand before the blade of the short sword could come down on his head. Not waiting for the man to react or recover, Squall kneed the man in the stomach, the blow strong enough to hurt even through the armour, and shifting his grip before releasing it altogether, allowing the injured soldier to fall into his comrade. Both plummeted over the side of the square and into the water below with startled screams.

Taking a good look at the height between them and the water, Squall decided it was time to move. If it was easy to toss the enemy over the ledge, the same could be said for them.

"We're moving," Squall said to the Mayor. Unfortunately, Dobe seemed to have lost the ability to move much less stand, more than likely paralyze by either fear of shock or both. Most likely both. Either way, Squall was forced to pull the elder man away from the ledge and guide him back towards the stairs. Not exactly in front of the entrance to the train station, but to the left of it, towards a corner where he knew no one would be able to come up from behind. If he could block the Galbadians path to Dobe and ensure that he remained safe, then that was doing his job. He would be more focused on the battle and less on monitoring the Mayor's position - he'd always know where he was.

They managed to move a few feet, and then Dobe revealed that his vocal cords were still intact because he shouted a warning. Squall acted quickly and brought up the protective shield once again, stopping an advancing soldier and resulting in the sword behind stuck in the shield. The SeeD pressed up while the soldier pressed down, both struggling over the battle of strength until Squall's junctioned strength overpowered him, sending the soldier sprawled against the ground, landing painfully on his side with a groan.

Shouting for Dobe to stay behind him, Squall crouched low to the ground and pressed his hands against the sturdy surface. His spell chosen, he concentrated on the paramagic and watched as the advancing soldiers were thrown from their feet as the ground shook beneath them, throwing up dust and debris and causing a layer of powder to thicken the air up to their calves. There were shouts and exclamations as they struggled to keep their balance, though most failed, hitting the ground hard before flying back into the air in what looked like an endless cycle.

By the time the Quake spell had ended, Squall and Dobe had made it to their destination. Dobe practically dropped to the ground as Squall whirled around with his back facing the elder man. He instructed the Mayor to remain behind him, not to move unless he told him to, he thrust his arms in front of him again, watching as the soldiers who had recovered and were headed in their direction were suddenly lifted from the ground by white wings that had spread from their shoulder blades. With a simple gesture to the right, the SeeD propelled them through the air and over the edge before releasing his spell and dropping them into the water. They disappeared from sight, screaming as they went.

He kept his hands raised in the event he was forced to defend himself once more, but from the looks of it he had already dealt with the majority of his attackers. Aside from the three soldiers who were currently making their way to his location - two in blue and the one in red - the rest were being dealt with by the Lieutenant, who looked to be holding her own and in no danger of being overwhelmed. He resolved that once he was finished with these three, he would provide the Lieutenant with some back up.

But before he had the chance to bring up a proper defence, one of the approaching soldiers leapt forward suddenly and caught the youth in a tackle that sent them both to the ground. His head connected with the stone before and sent stars flashing into his vision that were accompanied by a sharp pain that lanced through his skull. His hair was grabbed and his head was brought down against the ground once more before he received a fist in the face to keep him down.

If the soldier expected to have rendered the youth unconscious from the assault, then he'd surely underestimated the SeeD. He recovered quicker than expected and grabbed the soldiers fist before it could connect again. With a strength that surprised his attacker, Squall managed to flip them around so that he was on top and returned the previous abuse with a punch of his own to the struggling soldier beneath him.

But then he was hit in the back by a blunt object and fell to the ground, having the sense to twist his body so that his back hit the floor. He winced and choked on the startled cry but was surprised when no pain came to follow. He pushed himself up on elbows and spotted the reason. The soldiers were ignoring him completely, their focus trained solely on the Mayor, who was scrambling against the wall behind him in an attempt to further the distance.

Acting quickly, he threw his arm out with a wince and watched as the soldiers advanced and then fell back, as though they had hit an invisible force. But then the light bounced on it and it shone a light blue and the soldiers suddenly realized the reason behind the strange occurrence and their attention shifted towards him.

By this time, Squall had just about finished pulling himself up into a crouch. Quickly, he spat onto the ground, unsurprised to find blood intermingled with the saliva along the stone as he wiped his mouth with the back of his head. Then he raised both palms in front of him in preparation of defence, but he knew it wasn't going to hold out for much longer. The constant spell casting was taking its toll, it was getting harder and harder to recover but he was prepared to stay his ground. They'd have to beat him down in order to get to Dobe, he'd make sure of that.

But just before the soldiers could take advantage of his state, a white and yellow blur zoomed right into them, striking one of the pair before stopping altogether, revealing her form. It wasn't at all what he had expected. Honestly, he'd thought it was some kind of spell at first, but hadn't expect a person to emerge from the light.

It was a little girl, one of the tiniest he had ever seen, her short brown hair pulled back into pigtails - one on either side of her head. Armour glinted a shiny grey from the angle of the sun, almost obscuring the already bright yellow and white clothing she wore. She was currently holding off the soldier she had collided into with daggers that were as long as her forearm, positioned in a cross formation as she held his short sword in place.

The soldier flushed, the bottom half of his face turning red and signifying his embarrassment at being held off by a little girl who was no taller than his thigh. He pushed forward, using a lot of his strength - the grit of his teeth confirming this - and her tiny feet dug into the ground, skidding backwards a mere step before she stopped moving altogether. Almost like she was adding insult to injury, she withdrew one of the two daggers so that she was only holding him off with one before flashing the soldier a cheeky grin and a wink to boot.

The other soldier was fixed in place, watching the exchange in what could only be described a cross between amusement and indignation. Squall however was aware that he was gaping at the girl in shock and awe. Unlike the Galbadians, he knew better than to just assume that she was just some ordinary little girl who knows how to handle a pair of daggers. He'd heard the stories, the whispers, the gossip from the other students and several SeeDs within the Garden, the sort of things he'd never been able to confirm or deny from experience, at least not until this very moment.

The girl was _not _normal, because she was part of an even larger summon.

With the flick of her wrist, a blast of fire blasted out from her free hand and connected full on with the soldier's face with such a force that it propelled the soldier back. This broke the two part, the injured soldier colliding with his partner, both hitting the ground as the girl skidded back, almost losing her balance but managing to avoid falling by waving her arms to steady herself. Looking over at Squall, she offered him a wink and a wave before returning her attention to the soldiers.

Taking his eyes off the tiny girl just as she started at a charge towards the Galbadians, he spotted two more girls fighting alongside the Lieutenant, both with dark hair like their younger sister. The tallest - and the oldest, according to the rumours - left her hair down, her mostly pink outfit a different degree of length on arms and legs, her dark coloured boots matching the style. She had no weapon and seemed to be fighting hand to hand, kicking and punching and blocking the enemy as they attempted to surround and subdue her. The second girl was shorter and portlier, hair pinned down into a pony-tail that wrapped around her neck on the left side. Her long purple dress flared out at the waste, stretched down to the top of her knee, which was covered in mis-matched stockings - one solid purple, the other striped yellow and blue. Strapped to her back was a long and sinister looking scythe with three prongs instead of just one, but she seemed far more content to blast her targets with magic, throwing fire, ice and thunder cascading all around the square, sometimes chasing after the soldiers, sometimes hitting or missing their targets. The Lieutenant, much like the second girl, had settled back at a range and was pelting the soldiers with paramagic, allowing the first to get in nice and close and keep the soldiers from acting in kind.

He had never before witnessed the summoning or the fighting capabilities of the Magus Sisters. He knew it was because he had never actually fought alongside her before, or the fact that she hardly went on missions, that Garden wouldn't put at risk their top officer. Still, he couldn't help the amazement that filled him at the sight of the GF, at the knowledge that it was a GF with three separate consciousnesses. He had been amazed to learn that the Brother existed - one that had the consciousnesses of two separate beings - because he'd never actually believed the rumours to be true. He knew the Magus Sisters had to require a lot of energy to summon and maintain, but looking at the Lieutenant now, he couldn't tell if she was under such a strain. She looked absolutely fine, probably from years of use.

He turned away from the sight of the Lieutenant and the two sisters fighting to watch as the little girl pelted both soldiers with magic, seemingly finishing them off. Blasts of thunder, fire and blizzard almost danced from her fingertips before hitting the enemy, knocking them back onto the ground, where they didn't stir. Squall frowned, suddenly remembering that there had been three of the soldiers and he looked around for the missing one. But he didn't have to look for long, and when he found the would-be-assailant, he threw out his hands, sending cone of ice to rise up from the ground to stop him in his tracks. It impaled the man in the chest, rising him up until the spell had fully formed before bursting open in a shower of particles, releasing him from its grip as he dropped back down onto the stone floor with a thud, blood pooling from under him and staining the stone a deep crimson.

Squall heard the gasp from behind and turned to see Dobe turn away from the sight with some difficulty. This couldn't have been easy for the elder man to witness, to watch as all he had been preaching for over the last two decades - possibly longer - all being destroyed in a battle meant to save Fisherman's Horizon. It was all very necessary to ensure their continued survival... but it didn't make him feel any better about it and almost shamefully he turned away from the Mayor, instead focusing his thoughts on the battle.

The little girl dispatched with the remaining soldier - the other one must've already been dealt with earlier - by blasting him with another fire spell. The soldier hit the ground and didn't get back up again. Assured that she was done, Squall turned his attention back to the Lieutenant, but found that her opponents had also been dealt with. With the fight having ended, the little girl raced over towards her sisters, who greeted her as fondly as the Brother's Minotaur and Sacred treated each other.

The Lieutenant caught him watching and she shrugged in his direction even as he started to rise to his feet. "Let me guess," she said, and her tone betrayed that she had caught sight of his shock. "Never thought you'd ever see GF's act so sentimental, right?"

Squall was about to respond, but then he heard a sharp clap from nearby. He knew it wasn't coming from Dobe - who had made a startled gasp at the sound - because it was coming from ahead of him, almost behind the Lieutenant. She started at the noise as well but both SeeDs spotted the source almost at the same time and approached the equipment that had been set up out of the line of fighting. Along the monitor situated atop the equipment was the sight of the figure Squall hadn't thought he'd see again and his eyes narrowed as he watched the young man clap his hands slowly, almost condescendingly, his features fixed in a grin that didn't reach his eyes. It was a look Squall had always seen on him, particularly when he laid eyes on the Lieutenant. This time was no exception.

"Well," Seifer Almasy smirked from his end, "it's about _fucking _time you idiots noticed I was sitting here watching.

Indignation swelled up before he could force it back down, knowing that Seifer had sat here and simply watched them fight these soldiers from afar, refusing to get his hands dirty and allowing his men to do all the work. The fact that he seemed to have enjoyed the show was also off putting and he was forced to remind himself that this was not Seifer in control, that he _thought _he was in control. That it was the Sorceress' hold over him that was making him do the things he did.

It worked, though not before he could get a jab of his own in. "So she's not letting you out for your exercise? Must be horrible to just have to watch."

"Oh, I wouldn't think it's so bad," the Lieutenant said as though she were musing the thought. "Sending those soldiers to do the job he should've been capable of doing. Clearly we have him intimidated."

The grin strained but managed to maintain itself, but otherwise Seifer gave no indication that the remarks even affected him. "You can't _possibly _expect a man of my stature to deal with you and your _pitiful _existence," the blonde male waved off. "Especially given that I have so much more _important _matters to attend to. But what can I say? Cable is such a hard commodity to come by in my line of work, you can't blame me for working with the boob-tube on. _Everyone_ needs entertainment."

"Enough of the crap, Seifer," the Lieutenant spat, who appeared disgusted that their fighting had been a source of amusement to the former cadet. "We beat your soldiers. Your army as it were. I suppose we've shown again which army is superior, haven't we? I wonder what would happen if a whole fleet of us had been there?"

"That doesn't say much," Seifer said with the wave of a hand. Squall frowned thoughtfully, knowing that the elder man should have been throwing a fit from the loss. He never took losing well, he'd learned this from their spars, from the rare instances he had managed to overpower the other gunblader. "It just means that you two had a distinct advantage against my guys. The GF's tend to tip the balance, and that has been your advantage. But, unlike you I haven't sent in anyone who really truly matters in the grand scheme. You have your Lieutenant roaming about, helping to even the odds. And with her being such an important figurehead of the Garden, it makes me wonder what would happen should anything happen to her..."

He allowed the thought to trail off, leaving the pair to fill in the blanks on their own. It didn't take long for them to do so, both the Lieutenant and Squall exchanging glances between one another before the threat firmly sank in. Seifer laughed as the realization dawned on them, that the Galbadians were far from done here. This small squad may have been the originating force, but the enemy had proven time and again they had near unlimited arsenals at their disposal and from the sounds of it they intended to utilize it. Squall wished now more than ever that he had his weapon with him, the reassuring weight of the gunblade resting at his side, even as he stepped into a defensive stance, prepared to hold off the forces and to protect the Lieutenant as he warned the Mayor to stay where he was, out of the way of the coming threat...

* * *

The soldiers gathered to their stations, having received their orders from their superiors as they readied their response. SeeDs were in the small town, they were unsure of how or why but they knew better than to disregard the orders as conjecture, specifically when they could no longer raise Lieutenant Parks on the radio. From what they had learned, the citizens of this place were no match for even the most basic of soldiers. The intelligence gathered suggested that this was a place of peace, where not even the armed guards held weaponry. Even thinking that the Lieutenant had been taken down by the people was laughable.

No, it had to have been SeeDs doing. Who else would have the gall to stand against the Sorceress and her Galbadian military force?

So now they were forced to resort with the plan B, which meant that he was stepping up and taking control of the situation.

Even thinking back on it, Sergeant Cory Davis couldn't believe the luck they had in managing to salvage this monstrosity, or putting it back into working order. He wasn't discounting their luck however, and they would need a hell of a lot of it if they were going to skate by with as little casualties as they could manage.

From what little he knew of the operation, a team was sent in to survey the damage caused when the Missile Base went up in the explosion. Mostly junk and debris had been found, along with the bodies of those responsible for the attack. Davis was fairly certain that if they hadn't evacuated their people like they had, a lot more people would have been sacrificed in the tragedy. Such as it were, they got off lucky. But the one thing he recalled right off the bat was how difficult it had been to get through the front gate with the tank propped up right against the doors. It had taken some heavy duty equipment they had requested from the Capital but eventually they had been able to remove the machine blocking their way to conduct a proper search.

Of course the tank itself had been taken into custody almost immediately. It was an invaluable piece of equipment, one that their engineers went through painstaking work to get it into working order. But their repairs had been pushed to the back burner since the machine was slated for use at Fisherman's Horizon.

Quickly moving into action, Davis pulled on the pieces of equipment he would be utilizing to manoeuvre the tank. When the machine had first been salvaged, work teams had tried with no success a number of methods to pry the door open. The explosion seemed to have welded it shut, and nothing they did could pry it open, so they had left it. This was why Davis would be handling the machine remotely. At first, when they attempted to control the machine this way, the theory was it would be thwarted by the radio wave interference that rendered long distance connections useless at long intervals, but their tests along the trip to the fishing town had proven success. There would be no worry of disruption.

Davis entered the pass code that would grant him control over all the systems that were still active and he did a quick diagnostics check before proceeding any further. He cursed as he realized the grenade launcher was offline; that would have come in quite handy in dealing with the GF wielding SeeDs. Originally, the Iron Clad was meant as a counter measure in the event the villagers became hostile, and while Davis figured his superiors hadn't taken into account SeeD's presence, he was grateful they had thought so far ahead.

He took another look at the diagnostic report and found that he wasn't completely without options. He could control the Gatling gun along the under carriage of the tank, so it wasn't like he didn't have anything to attack with. But the Iron Clad was more than that, infamous in its capability of taking hit after hit without signs of slowing or stopping. It had taken a beating at the Missile Base, true, but the fact that it was still standing, showing no signs of powering down after having been part of an explosion was reassuring at least.

He looked through the visor, taking in the scene beyond the Train Station with grim trepidation. There were bodies littered along the stones, bodies wearing the blue jumpsuits of his comrades. Even as he made his visual sweep as he guided the machine forward still he spotted the Lieutenant, lying as dead as the rest of his men. The preparations had taken too long and, in exchange, the team securing the Central Square had paid for it with their lives.

Davis was not willing to allow their sacrifice to be in vain and it was with this thought in mind, he closed the gap between the tank and the two Seeds, preparing to finish the job the soldiers who had died had started...

* * *

The rumbling had been the first indication of what they would have to face but when she saw the towering tank that smashed through the stone overhanging of the train station she had known they were in trouble. Having expected to be greeted by a platoon or two of soldiers, she was woefully unprepared for this. The tank that still barrelled towards them - sliding down the steps and almost shattering them with its added weight - seeming locking onto the pair as targets.

The tank was massive in size, unlike the likes of which she had ever before witnessed in battle. Even though it looked blackened and burned, as though it had spent time in a previous battle, it was still an intimidating sight. There were slots that looked like it could hold six spires though only three remained - two on the left hand side and one on the right that billowed smoke as it progressed closer and closer to them. A red circle sat in the very centre of the machine that could only belong to the barrel of a gun that Xu mused must be a rail gun of some sort. It would at least meet with the luck they had been having since coming into this blasted city.

As she and Squall backed away from the advancing machine, Xu also spotted a weapon hanging beneath the tank's undercarriage. It looked like some kind of machine gun, an older model if she was seeing correctly, with a revolving chamber that appeared to have been somewhat melted in a fire, but otherwise appeared fully functioning.

"Magus Sisters!" Xu commanded and needed to say nothing more as the three sisters stepped in to surround the Lieutenant, weapons raised and ready to intercept.

And not a moment too soon, because the machine gun opened fire just as they reached her side. Both SeeDs raised their arms to block but the Magus sisters conjured the magic, causing the concussive rounds to blast into the protective spell both Cindy and Mindy - the smallest and the largest respectively - before flying back at the tank as though rebounded. The bullets did nothing to hinder its advancement or its attack. The largest of the trio. The tallest, Sandy charged into the fray, dodging the blasts almost effortlessly and with a speed most humans would envy before launching up to strike it with the polearm she conjured seconds before - a weapon not dissimilar to Xu's quarterstaff. It attack did nothing and with the force of which the tank was moving, the momentum knocking Sandy away and to the left, though she managed to recover before she hit the ground.

The three sisters scattered as the tank opened fire once again, causing Squall and Xu to do the same for their own safety. As soon as she had recovered, Cindy was back to casting and Xu could sense the watery feel of her protective magic enveloping her like a well worn coat, shielding her from any further weapon fire. She didn't look to see if Squall had received similar treatment, knowing the junction was well equipped to cast her magic on multiple targets simultaneously. Squall was actually throwing spells at the tank from its right side, seemingly ignorant to the shield that surrounded him now, but when she spotted Mindy conjuring her own well of offensive magic, she realized he was simply covering her flank, knowing that his spells would do very little in comparison.

The eldest GF sister and backed away from the metal monstrosity and was using her polearm to deflect the bullet fire that came her way, blasting bullets this way and that while Cindy caught them in her protective magic, ensuring that no one was hit by the tank. Again nothing deterred it and the look of confusion that betrayed Sandy's loss for words from the reaction was not lost on Xu. In fact, it filled the Lieutenant with a sense of dread as she realized there was nothing the three sisters could do to fend it off.

Still, she wasn't prepared to just lay down and let the Galbadians finish them, which was why she concentrated and sent her spells flying, pressing on despite the fact that the Thundaga spell had done nothing, only serving as an annoyance.

It took her a moment to realize it but the tank had at some point stopped its weapon fire. Just as she drew up this conclusion though it sped a course towards them which forced everyone to dodge out of the way in separate directions. The Magus sisters took charge, running forward to distract the machine from its human allies and attacked as a whole. Sandy brought her polearm up and slammed it against the machine, but on her third strike the weapon became completely lodged between the slabs of metal that made up its armour.

As she attempted to pry it loose, both Mindy and Cindy continued to blast it with spells, but then the machine began to spin, causing Sandy to lose her footing and spin with it as she held on to dear life. But she wasn't spinning for long, because she crashed into Cindy, who wasn't fast enough to move out of the way. Seconds later, Sandy must have lost her grip on her weapon because both sisters collided into the tiny body of Mindy, who could do nothing except take the attack that sent the trio hard into the ground in a heap of limps and groans. An instant later, they dispersed into particles of magic that took their very being and their weapons along with them.

Feeling the familiar presence of the GF's returning to their corner in her mind, Xu gave a light curse from under her breath, sincerely at a loss of what they could do against a machine who could bat away such a power GF like an annoying insect. Beside her, Squall seemed to be in the same position, his fists clenching and unclenching as he, like she was, attempted to survey the situation, weigh their options. Quezacotl would do little better than the sisters had, probably wholly worse.

But then there was a shout from overhead and a blur of dark colours collided with the tank, distracting it somewhat from its helpless targets. She recognized the figure as he stopped moving, and could only watch as Zell slammed both fists against the top of the machine, more than likely in an attempt to deter it rather than to do actual damage. As though it were retaliating, the machine swivelled around in a full circle before stopping abruptly, and this had the effect of causing the brawler to stumble and fall. He would have hit the ground hard had a pair of wings not sprouted from his back, almost like divine intervention as they guided him gently to the ground before dispersing.

From above, Xu spotted Rinoa as she glided gently to the ground, controlling the float spell with a skill uncanny even for Garden students. She seemed about to chastise the brawler for his (admittedly) reckless actions, but any words she could form were trapped as she took in the girth of the tank her comrade had attacked. Once again she was forced to remind herself that Rinoa was a civilian - a gifted civilian but one nonetheless - and that she was unaccustomed to combat.

She put the thoughts from her mind, instead focussing on what to do about this machine, about this weapon that could probably crush them effortlessly if they were to give it an opening. Her thoughts were filled with plan upon plan, actions that were easily negated as she took in stock of the machine and its actions thus far. It was being controlled somehow, if not from within than from somewhere nearby. It most definitely was not an AI, but its actions were still just as threatening.

She cursed again, feeling helpless against this looming metal monster and knowing there was very little she could do to shift the situation to their favour...

* * *

Sergeant Davis smirked, feeling very proud of himself for cornering the bastards, despite having spotted their numbers increase. He had every right to pat himself on the back as he took in the hopelessness that settled on each of their faces. They knew they were screwed. They knew there was absolutely nothing they could to do change that fact. He was the winner in this fight.

He was riding on a high, having dealt with a Guardian Force - a creature that had been viewed by the Galbadians as immortal beings with a limitless source of power. Yet, he had bested not only one, but three of them in a single go, rendering them useless, inept at dealing with the likes of him. It was as simple as noting how reluctant they appeared to be to summon another one.

Like the comrades they were aiding, the two new arrivals were unarmed, without a means of which to protect themselves from the threat that loomed and towered over them. If they had been armed, perhaps they might have stood a chance, but it was very unlikely. It was almost too easy to deal with them, but he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As long as they didn't account for the weakness of the Iron Clad - the fact that it's strength lay in defence and not in overpowering force - he held the advantage. And he would hold onto it for as long as was necessary, though to be honest it didn't appear like this would be a problem.

He would handle the SeeDs before joining the rest of his unit in their retreat, a retreat that had been called upon reactivation of the Iron Clad. Eventually he would run out of ammo, and the tank wasn't exactly quick on its feet, but as long as the SeeDs were focussed on their impending doom, they would never figure it out. If they tried to ignore it and pass through the station entrance, he would simply take it further into the city and kill the citizens within. No big loss, either way Galbadian held the cards.

He grinned as he watched the enemy, vaguely curious of what they would do to try and pull themselves out of the hole they had dug themselves into...

* * *

_See? Told you I'd make up for it. Now onto the changes:_

_I'd already figured out that the boss fight with the soldiers were going to be dragged out, specifically because I would have assumed there to be loads of them. It would make sense after all. And even two really well trained SeeDs would have trouble with the number, especially taking into account what they went through the previous chapter._

_Which brings me to my next change; Xu's junctions. To be honest, I contemplated a lot of different summons from other various Final Fantasies to be her GF's. I had always pictured her to have a couple of them, but as I was looking, I thought 'Why not the Magus Sisters?'. They're pretty powerful in their own right, and Final Fantasy 8 has already shown that there can be multiple summons in one, so I figured why not. I talked about it with a couple of other people though, because my main concern was overpowering Xu a bit. In the end, I obviously went with them, but a combination of them so to speak. I took their strength and fighting methods from FFX and their appearance from FFIV, only because I hated the bug costumes they had going for them. And thinking about it from that perspective as well, I thought they would be great against soldiers, but how would they fair against the Iron Clad? I mean, they've got sharp pointy weapons and magic, but that's pretty much it. So I guess it sort of balances itself out._

_The exchange between Squall and Seifer was an addition had already planned on them having, despite Seifer not actually being present, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Squall's shot at Seifer was in response to Seifer's presence, since we all know Seifer knows how to push Squall's buttons without even really trying to. My editor thinks that I went a little out of character with the dog crack, but I think it fits._

* * *

**04/27/2012 -** _I altered some of the dialogue between Squall, Xu and Seifer, just because it seemed to not fit near as well when I was making the changes. The dog crack still remained but I couldn't quite work in the Lieutenant part of it. Still, I managed to get my point across. __  
_


	35. Chapter XXXIII: Reunion

**Edited: **_07/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXIII:**  
**Reunion**

* * *

Something strange was going on and she didn't like it, not one bit.

Ever since they'd left the reinforcements to contend with the Galbadian soldiers by the front of the town Rinoa had noticed it but had said nothing, simply deciding to chalk it up to luck. But as the time passed the further they travelled the more concerned she felt that it might be a trick or a trap of some kind. Her stomach mirrored her minds unease, clenching tighter and tighter as they pressed on.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. After all, they had yet to encounter any resistance from the Galbadians since starting their trek, not even when they ran into the weird lizard skeleton thing in the middle of the road, where there had most definitely been signs of a struggle. When she brought it up to Zell, he just suggested they focus on getting to the square. Whether or not he shared her worries, he wasn't telling and to Rinoa that was a bad sign.

But her fears were proven unjustified once they reached their destination. Except that they had taken a wrong turn somewhere down the line and ended up _above _where they wanted to be. It became more of a distinct advantage though, since the enemy hadn't spotted them and probably wouldn't from this vantage point, especially since it looked like they were busy.

More like the latter actually. By the time they arrived, Xu and Squall were defending themselves against a giant tin-can of a tank, and three other girls Rinoa had never seen before disappeared into particles of magic after being knocked into each other and falling onto the ground. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that they were GFs and a few seconds more to consider that if the GFs couldn't stop it then what chance did the other two have?

Zell was far quicker and before she could even register that he had moved, he had dove over the ledge that overlooked the square and, with a battle cry, he landed on the tank and started to pummel it with his fists.

By the time Rinoa sprung into action, the machine below had started to spin like a carousel - a really _fast _one - until it stopped so abruptly that it tossed the brawler off. Quickly, she concentrated on the feeling of flying as she ran for the ledge and just as the spell took hold on its targets she jumping into the air, guiding the wings that had sprouted along her back to guide her to the ground below. Zell did the same thing and the spell dispersed just as they landed safely.

The first thing that came to mind was to thank Squall for teaching her the mechanics of this spell - this _very _useful spell that had saved their lives so many times and had solved so many problems in the past - but she stopped herself just short of doing so. She was still angry at him and didn't want to give him the wrong impression, so instead she directed what she had to say towards the brawler, who was just recovering from his near fall. But the words got caught in her throat when she caught an actual sight of the machine that Zell had attacked, the huge and smoking beast of a tank that looked like it had been shot up and blown up and yet was still standing, still towering over them like insects.

She was forced to remind herself that the three GF-girls hadn't done so much as scratch it, and they were mega-powered creatures that usually gave the Galbadians a run for their gil. How the hell were they supposed to take on something like that?

"So..." Zell supplied as both he and Rinoa backed up to stand with Squall and Xu. "Any ideas on how to take out the piece of junk who wants to turn us all into road kill?'

"The undercarriage," Xu said before Rinoa could incredulously whirl on Zell. She had thought that, since he'd attacked so quickly, he had come up with something that had prompted him into action. She should have known. "There's a shielding around the machine that prevents spells from hitting it. But the undercarriage should be just out of that shielding's range. _That's _it's most vulnerable spot... in _theory_..."

"So we just shoot spells up its ass," Zell said with a verbal shrug. "Sounds like something to me."

"_Or_ we off-balance it with radius spells aimed from below," Squall pointed out thoughtfully, the look in his eyes suggesting some form of plan building. Rinoa had always thought the man lived inside his head too much, though now she was more than grateful for the trait.

"I'll cover your flank, draw it's fire," the Lieutenant said as she dropped into her casting stance.

Rinoa was about to say something, though Squall cut her off before she could. "Rinoa, you do the same. Zell and I will draw in close enough to attack the undercarriage."

She didn't like the idea of trying to get the metal monstrosity's attention, nor did she like the thought of it targeting her specifically but she knew they were limited on their options. For someone to get to the undercarriage, they would need someone quick on their feet to do so. She was quick, but not near as much as the three junctioned SeeDs. And they would need a strong force of magic to keep its attention focused away from whoever was attempting to attack it from below. She knew enough to know her spells, though limited in variety, were powerful enough to do the job and with Xu helping her out they should be more than enough to distract them. If Xu's theory about the undercarriage was right, they wouldn't need much magic to fry the machine anyway, which was where Squall and Zell would come in.

So instead of arguing Rinoa swallowed her indignation, nodded her acknowledgement to her role and followed Xu's example and dropped into a casting stance of her own. That settled, Rinoa concentrated on her own spells as Xu threw out her hand, a blast of lightning cascading from the sky above and striking it head on, initiating the start of round two...

* * *

The tank came alive with automated fire just as everyone sprang into action, jumped into their rolls of attack. Having recalled the presence of the machine gun posted at the front of the undercarriage, he realized grimly that it would serve as a problem.

But not much of one, not if they both acted accordingly and were quick enough to dodge the blasts that threw up chunks of plaster at their feet. He made it a mental note not to think about the fact that his feet or legs might have been the end result rather than bits of stone and mortar. Junctioned or not, the blasts were more than likely to obliterate whatever they came into contact with. The thunder spell that the Lieutenant had thrown at it had done nothing, much like their previous attempts at spell casting against the Galbadian's machine forces.

They did have one thing to their advantage and that was the tank's movement speed. Due to its girth and probably its weight, it was a slow thing, turning at the speed of a snail's crawl as it moved to adjust its targeting. Another was the knowledge that it could only target one of them at a time and it seemed to have taken a preference to him, following his every move as he made an attempt to circle behind it. Just as he was closing in he was forced to dodge the boom of weapon's fire, rolling out of the line of fire as the spray of gunfire lashed out, destroying the floor of the square even more as it progressed.

He forced his movements to stop and realized it had been not one second too soon, for if he had continued on his path he would have rolled right over the ledge and into the depths below them. He was not at all comforted that it was water and not rock that lay below, because the fall itself was sure to finish him off. As vertigo began to set in, he turned his gaze away from it, swallowing the bile that had threatened to overtake him before noticing the equipment the Galbadians had set up prior to SeeD's intervention. The machinery was blasted to shit, no doubt due to the errant weapon fire, and had been reduced to smoldering ash. A chance glance told of how the monitors that surveyed the scene in the square were riddled with holes, smoking just like the machines that powered it and he couldn't help the smirk as he watched the sparks fly angrily from fried wires. So much for Seifer's front row seat.

Still, Squall couldn't afford to become ignored and instead focused his sights on the tank. Just in time too, because the machine gun burst into life, having made it's round through the technical equipment and blasting an arc straight at him. He barely had enough time to bring up a protective shield that took the brunt of the attack, but almost made him lose balance and fall over anyway. Looping his arms in a circle, he was very barely able to steady himself but just as he did he realized he should have been blasted to shreds. It took him a second longer to realize the machine had stopped firing and was instead shuddering from an attack unseen. Sending a silent thank you Zell's way - because it had to have been an attack from the brawler that had managed to distract it - Squall immediately jumped back into action.

But then the tanks automated weapons lashed out at him once more as he drew closer. Aborting his charge, Squall dove forward and rolled out of the line of fire, the clumsy somersault ending with him on his rear end but for only the briefest of seconds until he was back on his feet. A glance to his left told him that Zell had done the same thing, a scowl creasing the blonde male's features. He made the motion of someone holding a gun before holding up two fingers and that was all Squall needed to know to figure out what had happened. The Galbadians had grafted not just one but _two _machine guns on the undercarriage, no doubt added protection from an attack from below. Squall was willing to bet Gil that they wouldn't simply stop at two, and that all sides were more than likely protected in such a way.

Which meant their original plan was not going to work. Or if it did they would have to be even more careful about what they did.

"I think we need to rethink our strategy, man!" Zell shouted above the blasts of fire and thunder as they hit the tank, doing nothing as a result. He sounded like the brawler had drawn up the same conclusion.

Squall nodded in agreement, but in reality he was only half listening. His mind was running on its own, assessing the situation as he tried to come up with an alternate method of attack. He was reminded of his and the Lieutenants plan against the Living Weapon, and how lucky he had been to grab a hold of the water spell when he had. Like against the machine and creature hybrid, just rushing into battle was suicide. Spells were doing little to deter the tank's attention and, from the looks of it, whoever was in control was ignoring the Lieutenant and Rinoa's efforts outright, focusing its attention on the two closest to him. Getting to the undercarriage was going to be next than impossible unless they somehow thought of a means of taking out one of the guns so they could launch an attack.

From what little he'd managed to gather about the tank (admittedly he had been somewhat distracted), it was capable of attacking them from a distance, but it's movements made it far too clunky for offensive style attacks. Even when it had charged him and the Lieutenant before the movement had been slow, so much so that they pair had had ample amount of time to dodge. They were most definitely the faster, but attacking the thing was like cracking open a walnut or even one of those Armadodo's from the Tomb of the Unknown King.

There was no doubt in his mind that this tank was a stall tactic. It had to be, since the design itself seemed to suggest that it had been build more to withstand a large number of attacks rather than packing an actual punch itself. It was exactly as it had looked to be at first glance, an actual tank capable of taking everything they threw at it and more. The fact that it had machine guns (which were admittedly powerful in their own right) rather than something far more powerful seemed to lend strength to this theory.

But that only meant they needed to get something stronger than what it's armour was capable of defending against, something that would cause so much damage to it it wouldn't be capable of shaking it off.

Squall scowled as he couldn't come up with anything that would fit that category short of a rocket or grenade launcher. Even if they had their weapons on them, the situation would be just as useless. Their only hope seemed to be the undercarriage but it was going to be a struggle to even get close enough to attack from the only exposed spot on this damn machine and Squall almost cursed the Galbadians for this ingenious design. GF's most definitely were not an option, the youth reminded vividly of the failure of the Magus Sisters, of how quickly they had fallen to it. Elemental GF's like Quezacotl and Leviathan weren't much better and Diablos probably wouldn't even make a dent in its armour.

But as he ran through the list of GF's they had at their disposal, there was a sudden rustling in the back of his mind, the part where the GF's resided and took up residence. Suddenly, he was hit with inspiration, because there was at least _one _more option they hadn't explored just yet. He just didn't know if they would be powerful enough to make a difference, but he knew just from the nagging feeling he got from that very spot that they were willing to try.

"Zell," Squall shouted, his decision made. It was better than doing nothing. "I need you to distract the tank from me!"

His shouts distracted the brawler, who seemed to be able ready to charge at the tank once again, more than likely in an attempt to throw his weight at it and hope to Hyne it did something. That seemed to be Zell's motto: when in doubt, bulrush it. It wasn't a bad strategy, just a tactless one.

"Huh?" Zell said, looking confused. "Aren't the Lieutenant and Rinoa doing that already?"

_No time to explain,_ Squall inwardly mused. _If it's gonna happen, it's gotta happen now! _"Just do it! I need it off me for a bit! Whatever time you can spare!"

The look on the brawler's face shifted to a thoughtful expression before he charged forward as was initially his plan. Whether he had caught on to Squall's thought process like what had happened during their exam, he didn't know or particularly care at this moment. He could only hope that Zell kept the tank off of him for as long as was needed. That he didn't get himself killed in the process.

Trying not to think about the potential sacrifice Zell was making, Squall forced his mind to calm itself as he focussed on the earth, taking the cue from his earlier summoning of the quake spell that had thrown the attacking soldiers up off their feet and into the water below. But instead of simply casting the paramagic as soon as he had it grasped he continued his focus, continued to pour everything and anything he could muster into it, knowing it was gamble, their only hope, and that he could not afford to screw it up.

Just as it was beginning to work, he heard Zell's shout - a sound that almost disrupted his concentration. Holding onto the magic as he opened his eyes was difficult, almost bordering on painful but then he saw exactly what had opted Zell's interruption.

The tank was shifting position, again its manoeuvring was slow and clunky, but it took Squall a few precious seconds before he realized that it was not targeting the brawler as he had initially believed, that Zell hadn't shouted at him because he'd need backup.

He was trying to warn him.

The tank was aiming at him.

* * *

The high he had been riding only minutes ago had begun to dwindle the moment he'd spotted the foursome separate into two teams. The girls were firing magic spell after magic spell in what he realized was an attempt to distract him while the two guys tried to take him out from the undercarriage. He hadn't been too concerned, but having realized they had stepped up their game, Sergeant Davis had done the same. He had attacked both guys as much as he could, but once he'd been fully focussed on the brunet SeeD, the blonde one had made an attempt at the undercarriage. It had been quickly thinking on his part that had prevented the SeeDs' plan from succeeding and he had forced them back. They had spent a few seconds trying to puzzle out this new dilemma, no doubt knowing that all four sides were safely protected by the machine guns grafted on all sides.

Davis just hoped they didn't realize the flaw of having only one person operating this machine. Normally, this was a four person job, with two dedicated to weapons fire, one on navigation and the other watching the internal readings, making sure nothing got too hot and that all systems were go. There was only so much one person could do, but it had been decided it would be too cumbersome to have four people remotely controlling this device. So far, he was doing a decent job of it, but he sincerely hoped he could finish them off before they figured out this fatal flaw of his.

The blonde rushed him in a charge with fists bared and he opened fire, watching as the youth with the vine-like tattoo dodged the blasts, moving like he was lighter than air. It was the GF's of course, because if they weren't junctioned they would have already been paste. No matter how quickly he adjusted the controls, or how hard he tried to anticipate the SeeD's movements, there was nothing doing, the guy was just too damn fast.

He was so focused on trying to just _make him stop moving altogether _that it took him longer than it normally would have to realize the other guy wasn't doing anything. At first, he thought it was a ruse, that the blonde guy was simply trying to distract him long enough for the other guy to get behind him, but when he checked his rear point mirrors, he discovered no one in that vicinity. Stranger still, the brunet guy was right where he'd last seen him, just standing there, with his arms all stiff like and that far away look in his eyes, almost like he was deep in thought, or...

_FUCK! _

If Davis' superior officer had been watching, he would have thrown a fit at how stupid the Sergeant had been, leaving the other SeeD to his own devices fully knowing what he was capable of even without weapons. Worse, it was the one thing they were infamous for, that aside from junctioning the god-like bastards and thus making themselves more powerful, they could unleash the motherfuckers onto large platoons and demolish them in a single go. In fact, they _had. _On numerous occasions.

He cursed himself the fool even as he corrected himself and turned the weapons off the blonde and onto the brunet, hoping he acted before the stupid shit figured out what he was doing. Someone noticed, because the brunet snapped out of his daze before focussing on the tank and bringing his arms in front of him, knowing it was long past the time to dodge and even hope to get out of the line of fire. That action alone made Davis smile, not just because the SeeD realized the futility of his escape, but because the movement meant he had aborted the summoning. The lack of the god-like creatures raining fire and brimstone on his ass seemed to suggest this as well.

_Goodbye, _Davis thought gleefully, grinning darkly as he activated the controls, looking forward to watching as the concussive rounds tore this fucker limb from bloody limb...

* * *

She had been so deep in her own objective, blasting the tank full of magic that would have normally overwhelmed a small platoon, that when she heard the startled shout calling Squall's name she almost jumped out of her skin in fright. It only took maybe a couple more seconds to register the tank as it was aiming away from Zell and locking onto Squall - who had just come back from whatever it was had attacked his thoughts - before she realized he was in danger.

Rinoa reacted with instinct and gripped hold of the spell she was starting to know almost as well as the back of her hand, but just as she made to throw it out in front of her the tank's machine guns exploded with gunfire. The sight alone gripped at her, causing her fear and anguish because she knew, she just _knew_, that no matter how quick she was she wouldn't make it in time, because some of the damage - irreparable damage - would have already been done by the time the float spell took its hold.

Squall appeared to have realized the futility of his predicament because he didn't even try to dodge out of the line of fire, instead bringing up his arms to block the attack in an act that was purely instinct, like students hiding under a desk for shelter despite knowing that the bombs that rained down on them from their enemies would annihilate just about everything its deathly powers came in contact with.

Just as she was about to call out his name, just as she threw out her arm to complete the spell, what happened next both dispelled her concentration and ruined her perfectly formed spell _and _caused her cry to die in her throat. From the angle she stood at, she had a near perfect view of what had happened and even then she couldn't believe her eyes, knew that she would never have been able to make up the sight that took hold before her this very instant.

The bullets were still firing, blasting out with air cutting, ear splitting accuracy that should have prompted a death march for anyone caught in its line of fire. But they _weren't _connecting with Squall at all. The blasts were mere feet away from touching the skin on his arms, and it looked very much like they were coming into contact with _something _but then they would just hit the ground, rendered into useless slugs of metal at the SeeD's feet.

It took even Squall a few seconds to realize that he wasn't dead, that he was still standing and waiting for the inevitable to happen, only for whatever reason it wouldn't. Beside her, Xu was staring in shock, her gaze shifting from the SeeD to the tank and back onto the SeeD. So shocked was she that Rinoa was able to tell exactly what the elder woman was thinking, that she was wondering just what the hell Squall had managed to smuggle into FH that would protect him in such a way.

But they didn't have to wait for long, because suddenly the air between Squall and the tank shimmered, like the heat from the sun caused the air to warp on especially hot summer days. But then the shimmering withdrew and revealed something that had been invisible mere seconds prior, revealing not a shield of perpetrating magic, but rather a solid force that had been invisible to the eye. That solid force turned out to be a wall of earth, one that seemingly took the full brunt of the attack without so much as receiving a dent for its efforts. Rinoa had never known earth to take on the properties of steel before and was wondering how that happened when the wall suddenly crumbled.

Squall stumbled back as his shield broke apart in front of his very eyes but seconds later, a large Minotaur creature rose up from its remains. Its fur was a deep purple, and it stood on haunches that rose up from hooves. It's dark brown horns did not reflect sunlight off of them, nor did the spiked ball that was attached to a sleek iron rod it carried. It wore ancient looking armour, and its chin rested against its chest, smoke billowing out from its nostrils in a sign of hostility. Seconds later, another minotaur appeared, only this one was about a fourth of the size of the first.

Taking in the sight of the Brother's GF caused relief to crash into Rinoa so heavily her legs fell out from under her and she landed on her rear end with hands pressed flat against the stone behind her. She heard Xu utter a curse and something about another multiple-bodied GF, but her mind was too focused on just how close that had been for her to question it.

"Sorry we're late!" The bigger (and younger) Minotaur shouted before slapping the spiked ball end of his weapon against his palm. Surprisingly he didn't even flinch from the impact, though the sight did everything to increase his intimidation factor. His shouts, however, did not and as Squall stepped back, he pressed both hands against his ears in an effort to protect his hearing. From a few feet away Zell did the same, though he remained in his crouched position, almost losing his balance and falling face first into the ground in front of him.

"Apologize later, Sacred," the smaller minotaur said in exasperation as he readied his own weapon . Unlike with the younger brother, Rinoa was forced to strain her hearing in an effort to catch what the elder one was saying. "Right now, we've got some business to attend to."

"Right," the younger brother said as the older brother indicated the tank before them.

Seconds later, the driver of the tank seemed to have recovered himself and opened fire on them all with the intention of taking them down before they could do any harm. The Brothers easily remedied this by taking the brunt of the attack with their Morningstars, thus knocking the bullets into the ground. Rinoa noticed that the pair were mindful of where they ricocheted the bullets and, for the first time since entering the fray, she spotted the Mayor cowering in the corner as he watched the fighting progress. It was a small miracle the man hadn't already bought it from rebounded weapons fire and she didn't discount the luck that was involved in keeping him safe.

Both Zell and Squall did not stick around for too much longer, both SeeDs making their way back towards Rinoa and Xu, wisely stepping out of the fight and giving the reigns of control to the GF. Both Minotaurs charged forward almost after the two SeeDs had started inching away, throwing their weapons up before bringing them back down to smash into the ground just feet away from the tank. Rinoa spotted the tank was in the middle of moving back and away before the ground practically caved beneath it, tipping it forward so that it was no longer on even purchase. This seemed to immobilize it almost completely.

Sacred lunged onto the tank and swung his Morningstar into the front, smashing the front plat and leaving a bowling ball sized crater. His brother followed suit, causing extensive damage to the side of the tank before both seemed to focus on the other sides of the tank, making sure that no one side took more damage than any of the others. Rinoa could only watch in amazement as the brothers continued this action and suddenly it occurred to her that they were hitting it back and forth to one another. One of the brothers would hit the tank, launching it towards the other who would quickly dive and hit it back. it was like an insane game of catch or tennis.

But they seemed to grow bored of this after a few seconds because Sacred then launched himself up into the air with the Morningstar raised above his head before he brought it down hard against the very top of the tank. Once again following the lead of his younger brother, the other Minotaur did the same thing and together they both proceeded to mash and bash their weapons against the metallic structure like an intensive version of 'Whack-a-Mole.

"This is insane," Xu gasped from beside her. Rinoa couldn't help but agree.

"Back up!" Squall suddenly shouted and, after a moment, Rinoa realized why there was a frantic edge to his tone. The force of the blows caused by the Brothers was causing cracks to form in the already unstable ground beneath them. Those cracks were getting bigger and it was only a matter of time before the landing of the square gave out from under them.

Quickly, everyone did as they were told, though Squall ignored his own orders and dove to the side, keeping a wide girth between himself, the tank and the Brothers in one go. He reached the Mayor and seemed to instruct him to stay put as the GF's continued their aggressive looking game.

But then, with one well placed bludgeon from the elder brother, the ground finally did give way, causing the tank and both GF's to plummet from view. There was a startled gasp from both of them before it was abruptly cut off, like they had vanished from thin air. A look in Squall's direction and the sight of his features betraying momentary irritation told Rinoa that the Brothers' were safe and sound, having retreated and returned to the sanctity of their junctioned master's mind before anything bad could have befallen them.

Rinoa looked between the damage caused by the GF and considered how the tank had appeared before its unscheduled swim in the ocean below them before her mind became ablaze with everything that had just happened. GF's were dangerous, that much Rinoa had already ascertained, what with having to fight the aforementioned junction _and _then Diablos back to back. With just an order they could've practically destroyed this whole town.

But they had also rendered the enemy unable to contend with them. That aspect of the GF was what made Rinoa want one even more. Not just because if she were to junction one she would be at almost the same level as the SeeDs were now, but because they could end fights like this almost effortlessly. They were truly amazing creatures, so much so that Rinoa couldn't help but wonder why SeeD was the one with the monopoly over the creatures. Why didn't the Galbadians utilize them, because they had to know the advantages of using them, having been on the brunt end of their attacks as often as was rumoured.

She turned her thoughts back to the situation at hand as she spotted movement from nearby. She saw that Squall was carefully leading the Mayor to where they stood, circling the furthest edges of what remained of the square in order to avoid breaking off more chunks of the stone and causing the gap to widen.

"Now that... was Anti-climatic," Zell said as he gazed out to where the tank had been seconds prior. "I mean, c'mon! It looked like they were just playing around with it or something."

"Probably were," Squall said as they closed the distance between them. Soon after, they were standing together again, the Mayor looked down through the gap before hastily bringing his gaze back up to level with everyone else. "They were kind of stuck inside a Tomb for all of this time."

Rinoa noticed that Squall did not elaborate on the subject and decided she wasn't about to either. She was just glad the GFs were fighting on their side and not attacking them instead.

"Okay..." Xu said with the shake of her head. Her expression still betrayed the shock she must've been reeling from caused by the emergence of this GF. Honestly, Rinoa didn't see it as a huge deal, but maybe the elder woman knew something she didn't. "You are going to have to fill me in at a later date."

She reached for something holstered to her hip and, for a second, Rinoa thought it was one of her glocks, that the elder woman had been able to smuggle one in after all. But the thought was wiped from her mind as she realized it was just a communicator and berated herself for the dumb thought since she knew that Xu would have used it if she'd had it on her in the first place. The elder woman than moved a few feet away before turning it on and speaking into it. Rinoa assumed that it was just to give a report without prying ears and turned her back on her, focusing on the others instead.

"So..." she prompted lightly. "Who's in charge of footing the bill for the clean up here?"

Squall and Zell exchanged awkward glances and Rinoa could just tell they weren't looking forward to find out. She wouldn't have put it past the Gardens to drop the responsibility on the instigators laps and suddenly she felt really sorry for them, knowing that it was probably going to cost a fortune to repair the damages caused. Why did cleaning up a mess have to take longer and cost more effort than making the mess did in the first place?

Still... as Rinoa took in the sight of the damaged square, she couldn't help but feel guilty. This very place was the evidence of their response to the Galbadian's threat, and knowing that their retaliation had resulted in excessive force did not bode well for any of them. She didn't have to look at him to know that the Mayor was devastated and suddenly decided that her joke was ill timed and inappropriate.

Before she could even apologize thought Xu was back, the communicator still in hand. "The SeeD reinforcements just finished their final sweep at the front end of town. Apparently there were Galbadian forces coming in from the docks, but it seems they've taken care of them."

"That's convenient," Rinoa chirped in relief.

"_Too _convenient," Squall cut in. Rinoa huffed in frustration, but he seemed to ignore her. "I don't think that tank was sent out to finish us. More than likely it was just a distraction for their people to pull out."

"But why would they wanna retreat?" Zell asked. "I mean, weren't they after _us _in the first place?"

Squall shook his head in response, the sight causing Rinoa's frown to deepen. What could possibly have drawn the Sorceress' attention away from the people she saw as a direct threat to her?

Before they could even begin to fathom this, Rinoa spotted movement from the right and turned to face the direction, only to realize she had been a second slower than the SeeDs who were facing the gap with full attention. She didn't like the thought of something else coming to get them, but then she spotted what had initially drawn her attention. Gloved fingers were holding onto the edge of the ground for all it was worth, more than likely the pilots of that defensive hunk of junk. She wasn't looking forward to a round two of sorts and watched as the SeeDs reluctantly dropped into defensive stances and the Mayor simply stepped away, the dread at seeing the enemy still around apparent on the elder man's face.

From the looks of it, the driver was trying to pull themselves up over the ledge. Xu signalled to both Squall and Zell who nodded and started moving slowly towards the ledge, more than likely to cut off their escape. Even slower, Rinoa followed after them, wishing that she had been allowed to keep her Blaster Edge as she reflexively raised her arm to take aim, only to be reminded that it was not in fact there in the first place.

It turned out that there was more than one person inside that tank as three Galbadian soldiers emerged from the side, pulling themselves up onto solid purchase, only to freeze as the spotted the SeeDs towering over them.

"You have exactly thirty seconds to give us reason not to kill you," Xu barked out, though Rinoa wouldn't put it past the elder woman to take them alive as hostages instead.

The soldiers had frozen upon climbing up from the edge and seemed almost terrified at the sight of them all. Rinoa didn't know what to expect when the moment wore off, what the soldiers were prepared to do in retaliation to being trapped at the edge. Sure, right now they looked like they would have gladly jumped back off the edge but that was bound to change when their soldier training kicked in. Weapons would be drawn even knowing it could only end in death, either side or both.

But then one of the soldiers boldly jumped up to his feet and Rinoa was suddenly convinced that it would be the former was about to pull out a submachine gun to take advantage of everyone's momentary shock. She was even more surprised when the soldiers arms shot straight up into the air, the palms exposed and facing the group of four showing that he had nothing in his hands. It was only then that Rinoa realized how out of place this soldier looked in a uniform that was clearly two sizes too large at least, sagging and bunched up in places to compensate. Even the armour looked lopsided and awkward on this person frame, and she just knew that whoever this person was, they most definitely lied about their age in order to enlist.

"_Please _don't shoot us! We come in peace!"

The voice was familiar, and not at all what Rinoa had expected. Rather than the deep baritone that most Galbadian soldiers possessed or even the cracking high tone that could only belong to a teenager going through puberty, it was decidedly lighter, almost feminine. In fact, she was convinced that whoever was wearing that uniform was a girl.

Seemingly taking advantage of their shock and indecision, the soldier lowered her arms and began the task of prying the helmet off her head. Her actions were mirrored by the two soldiers who had taken the distraction as a means of rising to their own feet, and after a few tries the first soldier was successful, the helmet coming off with an almost inaudible _pop_ that could not have been comfortable. Though to be honest, Rinoa doubted that anyone else was concerned with that as much as they were by the very sight of the exposed soldier. She knew that was what it was for her.

"Phe-_yew_!" Selphie Tilmitt exclaimed through an exhale of breathe while tossing the helmet over her head and through the open expanse below without a backwards glance. Her hair - normally curled at both sides of her head and in the back - was left straight just past her shoulders, her bangs matted to her face from the sweat that had gathered across her forehead. In fact, her whole face was glowing with perspiration but she didn't seem to notice or even care. "Thank _god _I can _finally _take that stupid thing _off_!"

As the diminutive brunette took in the shocked expressions of her would-be executors, the two soldiers behind her had already managed to remove their own helmets, with Quistis Trepe standing to the left in an identical blue uniform (though hers seemed to fit her properly) and Irvine to the right in red. Both looked more than a little relieved that they hadn't been shot out for their efforts. Rinoa was thankful that she and the others managed to hold back some restraint.

"Wait, _wha?_" Rinoa couldn't help but say before realizing that her mouth had been hanging open in her shock. "When did you...? _How _did you...? How is this even possible?"

Xu suddenly threw her hands up into the air, breaking the shocked silence that had fallen since Selphie's outburst. "You know what? I give up. I'll expect my answers in the form of your respective reports."

Selphie giggled though it seemed like it was more for Rinoa's expense than it was for the Lieutenant's. But it seemed like Irvine wasn't willing to wait that long, and without being prompted immediately launched into an explanation. "Well, there we all were, stuck in tha Missile Base with that sardine can blockin' tha only way outta the building." The sharpshooter indicated the gap where the monster tank had been minutes ago before continuing, again without prompting. "So we looked 'round for anotha exit. No such luck. We thought we were gonna die for sure."

"But then Selphie looked at the tank and came up with this crazy idea of stowing away inside. The theory was that, if we survived the explosion, the Galbadians would assume we'd died," Quistis picked up after Irvine paused to take a breath. She sounded genuinely impressed at the idea and Rinoa could not fault her. She was staring at Selphie, thinking that only the smaller SeeD would come up with something so crazy that it was plausible. "All they would need as proof would be the bodies of the dead soldiers already inside. So as quickly as we could manage, we dumped the bodies outside, and took our places inside... and not a moment too soon."

"The base exploded almost right after we shut the door," Selphie added, her tone betraying how proud she was at having thought up their great escape.

"It was... less than pleasant," Quistis admitted.

"Coulda been worse," Irvine added with a shrug.

"By the time we realized the explosions had stopped, we heard people coming in to check out the damage," Selphie continued. "And it was _awesome _how quickly they took the bait. They took the bodies with them, probably trying to figure out who we were in the first place, but the bummer part of it all was we were trapped inside the tank. Literally. The explosion sealed the door shut, and nothing the Galbadians did or anything _we _did could get it open. I guess they gave up because suddenly we were moving and then we ended up here and saw you guys and... the rest is history, I guess."

She took a look around for a few seconds before turning back to them with a puzzled expression. "Um... where is _here, _anyway?"

"Fisherman's Horizon," Zell said. He went to say more, caught sight of the mayor before clearing his throat and stopping whatever train of thought he had been about to take. He grinned widely, and Rinoa knew the others were bound to get a thrill out of what he said next. "The Garden's docked at the pier... well, sort of..."

But before he could elaborate, Quistis jumped in as Irvine and Selphie's expressions betrayed the shock and joy of this announcement. Quistis was no different and her own tone betrayed it. "You mean, the Garden's safe? The missiles didn't hit?"

Zell and Rinoa both nodded in assurance before Selphie suddenly tackled them both in a hug, one arm wrapping around each of them as she cheered. Loudly. Rinoa winced from the noise but couldn't bring herself to put a damper on the celebrations. "Hurrah! Hurray! Whoo-hoo! We did it! We so _totally _did it!"

While more sedate than their comrade, Irvine and Quistis were no less thrilled by the news. Irvine tipped his hat forward and tried to act all cool but Rinoa saw the grin fighting to break open the bottom half of his face. Quistis bounced a couple of times on the heels of her feet, and that was probably the closest to a happy dance the raven-haired girl had ever seen coming from the older blonde. Zell made protests of not being able to breathe because of the smaller girl, though those claims fell flat as he seemed unable to help a laugh from escape him and even Rinoa found herself grinning from ear to ear, the mood was _that_ contagious. But it wasn't until she turned to her left to take in the sight of the others that her amusement was replaced by shock.

Xu seemed happy to stand back and let them have their reunion, and even she couldn't hold back a small smile before she turned her attention away and utilized the communicator that seemed to be glued to her hand. That wasn't what captured her attention though. What had was the sight of Squall as he stood back and watched the rest of the team exchange hugs as each had a moment to cheer and celebrate.

But he was smiling.

Actually smiling. Not one of those small smirks she had seen once or twice during a fight when the balance was tipped to their favour and even those were rare and far between. No, this was an actual smile, and Rinoa found herself wracking her brain in an attempt to recall some form of memory where she had seen this happen before. She couldn't. Not once had he done something so simple and easy since she had met him. It wasn't even one of those wide smiles, like the ones Zell and Selphie were sporting, or the charming flattering ones that Seifer had thrown her way when they had been in Timber. It was small and simple, though there was just so much that it relayed that made it all the more special, and it was because of this that it was one of the best she had ever seen. It made him look so much younger, more youthful than what he usually portrayed.

But it wasn't so much the gesture as it was the meaning behind it. She had once accused Squall of not caring about his comrades, the people he worked with and fought alongside, all because of his callous and thoughtless responses to Zell's desperate questions, questions that had been brought up from his concern of the Garden's safety. Not one to idly stand by and watch such a disgusting display, Rinoa had stepped up and told him what she'd thought of his pig-headedness. She had apologized soon after, but mostly out of concern for him and the others after their abrupt trip to the 'Dream World', as Zell had put it. But despite that, a part of her had held onto those beliefs and couldn't help but wonder if he would readily and willingly sacrifice them all for the sake of the mission, if they became a liability to him and the objective.

And damned if Rinoa hadn't thought he was a heartless robot for it too.

Now, she was convinced that this was not the case, that he really did care. He just had a very strange way of showing it. But she didn't want to ruin everything by pointing it out to everyone, because despite how hilarious it would be to embarrass him with this information, it wasn't appropriate and it sure as hell wasn't very nice. So instead, she made like he was the last person in the world she wanted to look at, though she did sneak some covert glances his way just because she couldn't resist.

"You have no idea how much has happened," Squall said and thus drew everyone else's attention.

"Yeah, I'll say..." Selphie agreed as she grinned right back at him. Rinoa couldn't help but wonder if he was even aware of his facial expression or how he looked to them at the moment but it seemed like everyone had taken a unanimous decision _not _to point this out to him. Yet. Rinoa bet it had something along the lines of a camera involved. "For starters, how the heck did Garden find its way all the way out here? Are we in the middle of the ocean or something?"

"We can fill you in later," Zell cut in right before Squall could say anything. "We gotta head back and report to the Headmaster. Sticky situation..." he indicated the town square and the destruction this battle had caused, having the effect of Irvine whistling at the sight. "Plus, you guys probably wanna kick back or something, not stand around here yacking."

"Absolutely!" Quistis agreed as she stretched an arm above her head. "I would _kill _for a shower right about now."

"Okay, okay," Selphie said. While everyone else seemed to be settling down from the excitement of this impromptu reunion, Selphie appeared to be going the opposite route and was currently bouncing from foot to foot in anticipation. "But after all that, you guys have _got _to fill us in! Oh, and _we've _got stuff to tell you guys about too! Whoo-hoo! It's good to be _back!_"

As the others started talking about returning to the Garden and what they would do the very minute they did, the Lieutenant was delegating responsibilities left in the city to the SeeDs still present. Rinoa took this opportunity to steal one last covert glance, but found herself disappointed with what she saw. He was still smiling, that in itself was surprising. But it wasn't at the same level as it had been before. In fact, it seemed like it had lessened slightly, possibly from the disappointment of not being able to fill everyone in. He had seemed like he had genuinely wanted to as well, and that was a first since it was like pulling teeth to get him to speak in complete sentences.

The news could wait, because it wasn't going to change anything anytime soon but all the same Rinoa couldn't help but want to kick Zell in the butt for his impromptu logic. She didn't know why she was taking the affront as personally as she was, just that something so small and innocent like should not have been all but snuffed out by something so logical.

As everyone prepared the leave the square, still talking away as they did, Squall's smile shrank less and less until it was gone altogether and he resembled the SeeD she had known for the last month. It was only then that she wondered to herself whether she really and truly knew him at all.

* * *

_Aw... okay, I can be a mush-head. I had to end it there, it was just so sweet, how could I not? And just a note, we all know that Squall was smiling at the ball he and Rinoa danced at, but I'm not too sure if Rinoa did or not, which is why when she tries to conjure up a memory of it she couldn't. Just a thought there._

_Now onto the changes._

_Yeah, I copped out on the boss fight, but I have a very good reason. The missile base was one of the hardest segments for me to write, specifically because I had to change a lot of what happened, while maintaining the story. For obvious reasons, I wrote it the way I did to keep the suspense (despite the fact that most of us know what happened. I'm trying to write this story in a way that people new to the game would be able to understand as well, and thus I didn't wanna spoil the surprise). Furthermore, one of the more triffling parts of that segment I had to write was the boss fight with the Iron Clad against Selphie, Quistis and Irvine and that was a bitch to write. I made it as serious as I could over there, and knowing that it came up again despite it not being very challenging struck me as tedius, so Sacred and Minotaur had their way with it. That was very enjoyable (for me anyway)._

_The only other change I can think of was really the reunion with the others. Of course a lot of it went the same as the game, but seeing as how it was written in Rinoa's point of view, I put more emphasis on the fact that Squall was actually smiling for once. And I think it's a really big deal too, seeing as he really did scowl and frown for the majority of the game up until this point. Why wouldn't it be a big deal? And I can just imagine him looking like a kicked puppy when being told that they can tell them what happened later. He was really happy to see them after all. _


	36. Chapter XXXIV: To PreJudge

**Edited: **_07/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXIV:**  
**To Pre-Judge**

* * *

It wasn't long after their surprise reunion that the others decided to head back to the Garden. The Missile Base team in particular was excited to finally go back after having been away for so long while Zell and Rinoa were just as eager to show them the transformation and all the little differences once they had rested up a bit. The group of five had gone off ahead at a quick pace, leaving the duty of escorting the Mayor onto the Lieutenant and himself.

The first thing they had done was survey the damages caused by their fighting. A good portion of the town square was gone, having sunk down into the ocean below. Whatever remained of the square itself was charred with dark smoking marks from the weapons fire and para-magic that has assailed it. The Galbadian equipment still remained, a smoking sparking mess of technology that was all but useless to them. The Lieutenant had already called a SeeD team to salvage as much as they could, because every little bit of information they could manage to find would take them even a small step closer to learning the significance behind Galbadia's new objective.

Regardless of knowing it had been necessary, that it had been a life-or-death decision eh had made in order to ensure the Galbadians did not have their way, he couldn't shake the look on the Mayor's face as he had taken in the sight of the ruins, the mixed look of sadness and disappointment that had filled his gaze, made the man seemingly unable to speak for long moments before announcing that he was ready to leave. It had been the look of a man who had seen his life's work reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds and it haunted Squall even as they walked down the tracks that took them back into the residential district of Fisherman's Horizon.

The streets were a stark contrast to when he had first arrived in the city. Originally filled with people as they meandered on their way it was devoid of all life as its citizens hid behind closed doors, awaiting the 'all clear' from their Mayor before they started anew. The devastation that littered the path was only emphasised by their absence, making it feel more like they were walking through a ghost town. He didn't doubt the citizens would feel that SeeD was responsible, that their sudden appearance in this town was what caused the Galbadians to act, ignoring the time it would take for the army to have arrived and the unexpected stop of the Garden crashing into the city. Flo already blamed them, and she – like everyone else – was bound to want something to be done about it.

In the end, Squall didn't know what was going to happen next. He didn't know the Mayor well enough to know what was running through the man's mind, only that he might have half a mind to demand their immediate departure, despite the current state of the Garden. He knew anger could do things to a person's mind, that it could make them act irrationally in the face of tragedy and despair. People were like that; so convinced by their convictions and beliefs that they either fell apart or reacted accordingly when they were either threatened or pushed to the wayside. It took a special kind of person to look past it all and think with enough logic and reason when it affected them so personally. He doubted he was ever likely to meet them.

But what unnerved him more than the despairing look on Dobe's face back at the Town Square was the fact that the man hadn't spoken at all since their departure. It was almost a contemplating silence that filled the air surrounding the mayor, whose gaze was downcast and unseeing of anything around him. The Lieutenant was a few paces ahead of them, as though she were making sure that no sign of the Galbadian threat was lying in wait for an ambush. Squall knew that he should've been the one at point, making sure that the enemy didn't get their hands on the higher ranking official, but he doubted that any of the soldiers had remained. Surely if they had, they would be retreating in the face of SeeD support.

Besides, his own mind was filled with his own questions and thoughts, most of which surrounded what he and the Lieutenant had overheard before their intervention. He didn't know how much it would help him to know that Ellone was ultimately the Sorceress' target, only that he was glad the White SeeDs had taken her away when they had. He dismissed the idea that the Sorceress had known she'd been at the Garden all along, because why would she have launched missiles there if it would endanger her target? And why was she so important anyway? Did she have some information the Sorceress wanted? Was she a threat to her in some way? He couldn't imagine the mousey-looking young woman from the Library being capable of harming anyone let alone the Sorceress, but Selphie had looked relatively harmless when he'd first met her too. Looks could be deceiving. But if that were the case, why had she needed him and Quistis to rescue her in the Training Centre?

He let out a soft but frustrated sounding sigh as he realized the more answers he received the more questions came with it. He doubted he would ever fully understand the Sorceress' motives for what she was doing, only that it was enough to know that she had to be stopped.

It was when they reached the junction that brought them back into the city proper that the silence was unexpectedly broken. The tone in which Dobe spoke sounded hesitant and relenting, though brisk. It was like he was reluctant to speak the words at all. "I… _suppose…_ this means you saved my life."

Squall didn't respond right away, mostly because he hadn't expected any kind of response from the Mayor. Momentarily taken by surprise, he mused on the words as he wondered about the Mayor's sudden act of civility. He had been cordial and gracious enough at their previous meeting, but there had also been a subtle hostility that had been made more than apparent the moment he'd started preaching about his beliefs regarding Garden's procedures. It had been painfully obvious that despite how warm and friendly the man had appeared they had not been welcome.

But now Mayor Dobe was speaking to him like an actual person. There was no hostility at all in his tone, no anger that the man should have been feeling at having witnessed his beliefs disregarded as they had been. _Maybe he's just grateful, _Squall mused. It was possible that the man was just so relieved at still being alive that he was willing to look past the transgression.

After getting over his initial surprise, he shrugged awkwardly. "Yeah… I guess we did." But even after he forced out his response, Squall felt frustration. He felt like he should say more, that he should at least apologize for everything that had happened since they crashed. He knew it wasn't exactly his job to do so and he was unused to having to respond in kind to such things but this was a diplomatic mission. The least he could do was to salvage some semblance of whatever scraps that remained. "Sorry…"

Dobe, who had been facing straight ahead as he had spoken, turned to regard the SeeD as Squall continued. "For butting in back there."

"Yes. Well," Dobe said. It seemed like it was the Mayor's turn to feel awkward, because he cleared his throat before directing his attention away from the SeeD, though he still managed to look over his shoulder at him as he spoke. "Don't expect me to thank you."

Squall found himself sighing again, that frustration mounting into an annoying level that was difficult to ignore. The masked contempt had returned, further fuelled by that bitter retort and it made him wonder if the elder man would ever change his opinion. He doubted he ever would. With years of experience in Esthar under Adel's rule, it was a small wonder he regarded soldiers the way he did. All the same, it was disappointing to know that the man who preached about a new way of life was just as closed minded as those outsiders he tried to preach to.

He struggled with himself. For the first time in a long while he actually felt like he wanted to respond to that almost dismissive remark. It was an odd feeling that he didn't like and despite knowing that it didn't matter what outsiders thought of SeeD or their activities Dobe's dismissal bothered him. He'd never met this man before, his opinion shouldn't matter to him and yet it did. The need to break the silence finally outweighed his decision to keep quiet, to keep his thoughts to himself and it was through an aggravated sigh that he spoke. "We're not warmongers."

"Pardon me?" Dobe asked, his curiosity thick in his tone.

Immediately Squall regretted his decision. He wished he could take the words back, to have said nothing at all but now the damage was done. He couldn't very well pretend nothing had been said, because he could feel Dobe's gaze on him, almost sizing him up. He ignored it with some difficulty and kept his own gaze forward, settled on the tracks beneath his feet before looking up and spying the Lieutenant up ahead. Her attention was focused in front of her, and she didn't give any sign that she had heard him or that she was even listening to the pair. More than likely she was trying to decide Garden's next objective, their next move, what they would do to prepare during their extended (or shortened) stay here.

"Just what I said," Squall chose in answer, forcing himself to speak through another exasperated sigh. It seemed fruitless not to continue when he'd already broached the subject. "SeeD is not a group of warmongers who're hell-bent on starting conflicts for the sake of getting our hands dirty. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but we're not an organization that thrives on the existence of war and conflict."

"You're paid to fight other people's battles for them," Dobe pointed out in a matter of fact tone. "And you use weapons to do so. That sounds an awful lot like thriving to me."

"But for us, it's a means to an end," Squall protested. "It's a means of keeping the Garden operation. Without it, Garden would not exist. It doesn't mean we enjoy the fighting."

"And why are you telling me all of this now?" Dobe asked abruptly as he turned to face the SeeD. The look in his expression clearly betrayed his indignation. He didn't even look like he was trying to hide it.

Squall opened his mouth to respond but realized almost immediately after that he didn't have a clear cut answer to give. Why had he brought this up again? Why did it bother him so much that _one _person thought of an organization he represented? Was it because he didn't want the man to associate them with those who were currently following the Sorceress? Did he not want to be lumped in with other more traditional-minded mercenaries? The ones who did their jobs without a care to those they harmed or got involved? All for the almighty Gil?

"I… don't know," Squall finally confessed, because he believed the elder man deserved to know that might. Sighing again, he hesitated for a moment before suddenly deciding on a reason amongst the multitude of reasons he had to offer. "I just… I guess I just wish you could understand our position. Even a little bit's enough."

Silence greeted his answer for a moment before Dobe broke off with a derisive snort, like Squall had just asked him to walk on water or breathe fire and earth. "What's there to understand?" He asked. "SeeD is a group of people who thrive on the existence of fighting and of war. You people wouldn't be able to _survive _without it. Your way of life would cease to exist."

Dobe was the one to sigh this time, a clear sign that meant he was far from done. "People like you need to learn how to understand the way of life people like us desire, the people who live away from the violence. Do you know _why _we left Esthar? Because we wanted to _escape _the pain and suffering that war causes. _We _believe that the world can be a better and peaceful place if everyone where to lay down their arms and resolve their issues through negotiations and compromises instead of with warheads and violence. We wouldn't _have _to fear for our lives because of something that was done in a time long forgotten. It is our belief that people can live much longer, healthier and productive lives if they could just get over their petty differences, just like we have. They would be a lot happier with themselves and each other as a result if they did."

"You're absolutely right."

The words were spoken with hesitance but even still they did not lack the conviction Squall felt as he said them. Dobe's head shot back up to face him again, immediately inspecting his features for any sign of deceit or deception, anything that would implicate Squall as being insincere. But the man was searching for something that was not there, because the SeeD honestly believed him.

He believed that it would thrive better without war and the suffering caused by the fighting.

He believed that if people could put aside their differences and learn to help instead of hurt, the world would be a better place.

But he was also a realist, and he knew that it was naïve to believe that such a reality was so easily achievable.

"I'm… not very good with words," Squall confessed in a soft and quiet tone. Dobe leaned forward to hear him better, like the SeeD was about to divulge to him some sacred and guarded secret. "And the subject itself is kind of hard for me to explain properly, but I hope you'll at least understand when I'm done. I agree that the world would be a better place if the fighting stopped but… I… I guess I just wish it really _was _that easy, that simple. That we could solve our problems without having to resort to violence, that there was no need for the battles, the bloodshed."

"You're making it seem far harder than it has to be," Dobe protested. "It really _is _that simple. It _is _that easy."

"No, it isn't," Squall countered and he was surprised at just how much it almost hurt for him to say. This belief of the Mayor's was so powerful that he was willing to stare death in the face to stand for it. It seemed like a crime to rob him of this conviction, to drag him back into a world cruel enough to snuff out any hope of it becoming a reality, but it was an even bigger one to allow him to continue as he was. It was because this town needed Dobe's idealism, the idealism that peace could exist through negotiation and compromise. But Fisherman's Horizon also needed a leader who could open his eyes and see things for the way they really were, to be open to alternatives and other possibilities. "But it'd be great if it _were _that easy, if disputes could be solved through talking things out. The problem is it takes too long, and people just don't have the patience for something that doesn't give them immediate results."

"It works just fine here," Dobe defended, his tone betraying that he took offence to such a statement.

"And that's great," Squall commented. "But it only works here because there's no one living here who opposes this viewpoint. Everyone here listens to your preaching, to the things you teach, because _they_ believe in and respect it and they're willing to take the time and the energy to see it to the end. They respect _you_ enough to try it your way. But those soldiers today weren't willing to change their beliefs or even to hear you out and that is my point. People are not willing to change their beliefs so simply if they are not interested in the change at all. If they don't believe in it themselves, they have no patience. They may nod and look like they're listening but really they're just thinking to themselves how useless the arguments sound to them. Negotiation take a lot of time to execute properly, and it may take a long time before it even begins to make a dent in most cases. Eventually it just falls apart because both sides will lose interest and patience in what they're trying to achieve in the first place and _that's _when the fighting starts. It's when it _always _starts. Fighting is inevitable at times. We may try to stop it, or head it off, but eventually conflict will happen. I know that it doesn't have to, that it would be better if we could just find a way to get along without it, but… it… that's just the way things are. And… it's… it's really sad when you think about it…"

Squall forced himself to stop right there, because he felt like he was beginning to ramble. There wasn't much left to say anyway without going around in circles and he had the feeling that it would be useless to even try. He didn't even feel better after having let it all out. Instead he felt even more uncomfortable, even more self-conscious than he had before. The silence that lingered just made things even worse. Turning to regard the Mayor – wondering if the man had even been listening – he was surprised to find that he seemed pensive. The elder man opened his mouth to say something but just as quickly stopped himself before resuming his thoughts.

Normally thankful when no words were exchanged Squall found the silence disturbing, but he had no idea how to go about breaking it. So instead, the young SeeD continued to walk side by side with the elder Mayor as they followed after the Lieutenant. It was a slow process, but he was eventually able to fall into his own thoughts. It was enough to distract him from his discomfort. In all honesty, he hadn't meant to say as much as he had, only knowing that once he'd started there had been no way to stop…

* * *

It was a lot of information to absorb in the small amount of time she had, but she was no stranger to adjusting to any situation given her. To her credit, she did feel guilty for eavesdropping on something so seemingly private but she knew he would have just stopped talking altogether if he had known she was listening at all.

When they'd finished their initial meeting with the Mayor, she had observed the rest of the group as un-obstructively as she could manage. As a result, she had heard Zell's rant of the couple's treatment of them as well as Rinoa's quick defence of their beliefs. But Squall had said nothing on the subject and had told them both - in his own unique way - to shut the hell up and to concentrate on getting back to the Garden. He had always been a very guarded individual and getting him to voice his own thoughts was impossible, so much so that even trained professionals like Kadowaki had a tough time. So his suddenly opening up to a stranger like Dobe was confusing to her. She didn't know what had made him want to say as much as he had, but she knew that it was probably the most he had ever spoken to anyone.

She smiled to herself as the subject seemed to have been unanimously dropped, turning her focus ahead finding that they were closed to the fork that would take both sides their separate ways. Xu couldn't help but wonder if Flo was worried sick about her husband, whether or not they managed to get him in time. She decided that the elder woman would be thrilled to learn he was safe and sound.

"Well," Dobe said with a sigh as they reached the slope. His words broke the silence that had fallen between them all. "I think I can make it the rest of the way without you SeeD people tagging along. You've still got that proposition to relay to your Headmaster, and I believe I've taken enough of your time. He has my contact information, if he has any questions he's more than free to call and ask me anything."

"I'll relay the message," Xu responded evenly, though she was relieved that the Mayor was still considering assisting them with their repairs. She had thought he might revoke his offer because of the attack.

"Thank you."

Squall had suddenly spoken just as she had turned to leave. The act was so random, so unexpected that it forced the Lieutenant to pause in mid-stride and half-turn to watch and noticed that the Mayor had done the same. Squall didn't seem to notice the lapse, and whatever he was thinking was carefully guarded behind a neutral expression, though Dobe's features were alive with the surprise and shock that he was no doubt feeling. Xu forced her own features to mimic that of the elder man's, because she did not want to be called out for her earlier eavesdropping. "For all of your help with the Garden," Squall pressed on. "And our apologies again for causing the damages at the port... and the Central Square."

It seemed as though Dobe had lost his voice, because he opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. The younger SeeD took advantage of this. "And... about what we talked about... I hope you can understand some day."

The next move happened so fast and so suddenly that Xu no longer had to act to look surprised. The emotion hit her full force as she watched Squall offer the Mayor a salute. The action was short lived, lasting merely half a second before the youth lowered his arm and stood at attention. It took Xu a little longer to realize he was waiting for her order and she signalled for him to follow after her as she turned and started back to the Garden. The steady footfalls behind her told her that Squall was following her lead.

"So..." Xu started tentatively, having waited a few moments as she threw a look over her shoulder. The Mayor had already started down the ramp that would lead to his home. "What exactly did you two talk about?"

She wasn't expecting an answer, and had only asked because it would have seemed suspicious if she hadn't. Predictably, Squall shrugged in reply before answering. "It wasn't anything important, sir."

"Mmm hmm..." she hummed but chose not to press the issue. Instead, Xu focused her attention back in front of her as the lift shifted back up to the bridge they had used to enter the town in the first place.

* * *

The silence continued from the lift, along the bridge and back onto the second floor balcony leading into Garden proper. They retrieved their confiscated weapons back from the people at the front - who looked more harried and less welcoming than they had when they'd first entered the town, no doubt thanks to the troop of SeeDs who more than likely forced their way through - and soon after that they were in the hallway surrounded by classrooms.

"Be ready to make a report," the Lieutenant said, breaking the seemingly agreed-upon silence. Squall offered her a sideways glance but said nothing, though the elder woman appeared to feel the need to elaborate. "Selphie is no doubt already making hers, and the Headmaster'll want your take on the events from town."

"I thought you would be issuing the report," Squall said slowly, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to come across as though he didn't want to make the report, but all the same he had been under the impression that as the leader of this operation the task would fall onto her.

"Normally, yes," the Lieutenant said before offering his a shrug and a grin. "Think of it as practice."

And without allowing him an opportunity to question her further, she was already making her way to the elevator. By the time he had gathered himself and followed behind, he discovered that he had missed the elevator and that the Lieutenant was long gone. Without anything better to do, Squall waited for the elevator to return before taking it to the ground floor.

The very first thing he wanted to do was to grab something to eat. Of course he had done this while waiting for Rinoa and Zell to get ready and to meet him at the front hall, but fighting - and especially spell casting - took its toll of energy. He felt drained, the most exhausted he had felt since returning from the missile base. But he knew that before he could eat he had to visit Dr. Kadowaki in the infirmary. Guardian Forces sped things along in regards the injuries, but they still needed treatment and adequate time to heal. There were instances that he had heard of where bones had mended badly because they had not been properly tended or set properly. The last thing he needed was for that to interfere with his being able to participate in missions.

His ribs were throbbing painfully, a sign that the adrenaline from the previous fight had worn off, but what really worried him was the bleeding from his ears. They had long since stopped, but he wanted to be absolutely sure that there was no permanent damage caused by the Living Weapon. He promised himself that when he was finished, he would grab some food and, depending on how long it took Selphie to make her report, possibly make a trip to the Training Centre.

He suddenly stopped as the thought jogged a memory and he openly groaned. The very thing he had set out to do that very morning, before the mess of the crash and everything else, had been to explain what he had learned over the course of the last two days. Everything - from the Headmaster's relationship with the Sorceress, to the discovery of the origins of the Dream World and Ellone's part in it. Hell, the fact that he met that little girl from Winhill, seemingly all grown up now was a hell of a mindfuck on its own. He owed it to the others to tell them this, and he knew it had been put off long enough, so he rethought his plans, altering them slightly. He would go to the infirmary first, that part could not be negotiated. Depending on how he felt afterwards, he would either grab some food or find the others before he had the chance to forget again.

His trip to the infirmary wasn't long, of that he made sure of. He had too much on his plate to stay any longer than what was necessary. He did manage to stay long enough to learn that the hit to the head was (in the doctor's opinion) nothing new, though he was to check back in with her in the next couple of days to ensure that the bleeding from his ears was not the result of something serious. Thankfully his ribs were fine - more than likely thanks to the GFs. He took his leave when the doctor felt the need to gift him with her numerous jokes regarding his numerous trips to the infirmary, having learned all he'd needed to and more.

His stomach won the second battle, though he had rushed his lunch in order to keep from wasting too much time. Fortunately as it was nearing three in the afternoon this meant the cafeteria was all but disserted, so that meant no lines and plenty of places to sit by himself. He normally tended to avoid rush times for this very reason, though sadly there were times when this was unavoidable. Once he was finished with his food, his placed his tray atop one of the garbage cans and set out to find the others.

Squall had only just begun his search when he spotted Irvine rounding the corner. From the looks of it, the sharpshooter had come from the infirmary and Squall couldn't help but suppress a sigh, hoping against everything that the auburn haired Galbadian hadn't been in the midst of chasing skirts. The sneaking suspicion that he might be searching for someone to give him the guided tour had just flitted through his mind when the sharpshooter spotted him and charted a course right for him. The SeeD reminded himself though that if that were Irvine's intent he would have more than likely searched out either Selphie or Quistis.

"There ya're," Irvine said before Squall had the opportunity to say anything. "Been lookin' 'round tha place for ya. Zell said ya'd most likely be in tha Trainin' Centa, but - once I managed ta find tha place - I looked 'round but didn't see ya nowhere."

Squall frowned slightly, wondering if his earlier estimation of the sharpshooter had been a gross oversight. Irvine might have even already asked the girls for the tour, only to have been shot down. Of course, there were other girls he could potentially persuade to show him around, but immediately his thoughts went to Rinoa, of how she had mentioned that he had been highly recommended by Selphie of all people when all he'd done was show her the damned directory in a moment of weakness. He swore that would never happen again; he'd learned his lesson.

Folding his arms across his chest, he stared pointedly at the sharpshooter and managed to get a word in edgewise as the sharpshooter paused for breath. "I'm _not _showing you around the Garden."

"Huh?!" Irvine looked genuinely puzzled and Squall was very barely able to keep his own surprise from showing. He suddenly felt stupid for the assumption as Irvine burst out laughing. "No way, man! Why'd ya reckon I'd ask ya ta show me 'round this here place when I could easily get either Quisty or Selphie?"

Irvine appeared almost thoughtful for a moment after he'd mentioned it and almost looked as though he was reconsidering. "Okay, reckon it'd be a _lot _easier ta convince Selphie. Quistis can be an ol' stick in tha mud, if ya ask meh."

"Whatever," Squall dismissed, though privately he dared Irvine to say that within earshot of the former instructor. "Why were you looking for me then?"

Almost as though he had flicked a light switch, the jovial expression on the sharpshooter's face sank away at the question. Squall frowned lightly, not sure if the reason was good news, but what the younger teenager said next surprised him. "It's Selphie."

Squall arched an eyebrow at this. "What about her?"

"Well, she was all relieved-like ta be comin' back onta tha Garden, right?" When Squall nodded, Irvine continued. "We got back ta tha Garden, but after Selphie came on back down Zell and Rinoa were talkin' 'bout how tha Garden flew up offa tha ground. They mentioned sumthan' 'bout stuff gettin' all trashed when ya'll crashed inta FH and she shot outta tha room like a bullet and headed on down ta tha quad."

He could see where this was going, could imagine how shocked and disappointed she probably was the see the destruction. From what he had heard, the diminutive SeeD had spent a lot of time in the quad between her initial arrival from Trabia up until their mission in Timber. That was no rumour either. Squall had actually found her right before the Garden Faculty had found them and ordered them to the front gate for their briefing. He hadn't needed to ask if it was important to her (nor would he have: it wasn't any of his business). "Okay, I can see where this is going... but what does it have to do with me?"

"Well I was reckonin'..." Irvine drawled as he straightened his back, "that ya might wanna head on over yerself an' cheer her up some. Since, like, yer evrawun's leader and all..."

The look on Squall's face must've betrayed his reluctance because the sharpshooter shrugged almost apathetically. "Hey now, I know what yer thinkin' and it's rightly obvious how you're a total klutz when it comes ta thang's like this, so I'll tell ya what. I'll come along and back ya up. Between tha pair o' us, Selphie'll be back ta her ol' perky peppy self in no time flat."

Squall didn't know where Irvine had gotten it in his head that he was the best candidate to accomplish this mission, to try and make anyone feel better. Somehow though, he was sure he would fail in an attempt at talking the sharpshooter out of this course of action. Irvine would probably resort to annoying the hell out of him -no doubt following him all day to accomplish this - until he did what he wanted. Already it was working, and he hadn't resorted to this yet. So it was with a heavy sigh and Squall resigned himself to his fate. "She's in the quad, right?"

Irvine tipped his hat forward cordially, though there was elation in his usually reserved features as he betrayed a grin. "That'd be right."

They started off down the hall after that and it didn't take them long to reach the quad. They had just reached the first landing that led down to the balcony below when Squall felt Irvine staring at his back. "There anything _else _you would like to ask?"

"I was _just _thinkin'..." Irvine started and Squall had to force himself to reign in the sigh that almost escaped. _Here we go..._

"Cordin' ta Quistis," the sharpshooter continued, ignorant to the inner musings of his reluctant back up. "Tha Headmaster gave tha all-clear fer tha FH techies ta come on in and start fixin' up stuff. D'ya reckon they'd be alright with it if we asked 'em ta fix up a coup'la otha thangs?"

_And you would be asking me this because..._ Squall mused irritably. "I don't have the authority to make that decision, Irvine. Ask the Lieutenant and the Headmaster."

"Sure thang," Irvine replied. Instead of sounding disappointed, he appeared almost encouraged by the answer. Squall shook his head, realizing that he probably would never understand the way the taller youth thought.

Just a few short minutes later, they had reached the bottom. It was here that Squall saw the stage and even he was humbled by the sight. Normally not one to visit the quad on a regular basis, he had not actually been aware of the devastation here until Irvine had pointed it out to him. Now that he saw it, he could most certainly understand why Selphie would be upset.

It was a disaster area filled with metal bars and broken light fixtures. From the looks of it, some of it had already fallen off the balcony, whose railing had been torn apart by the metal beams that held up the ceiling above. The stage had been reduced to dilapidated wooden platforms, the supports having been useless against the onslaught. The curtain that had wrapped around the stage like a sheet was ripped and torn and now lay uselessly along the floor, accompanied by the broken planks that had once been the steps leading to the very centre. The remainder of the stage's equipment was crushed under the weight of the rubble, including posters that had been erected along the walls and even the stage itself.

Standing in the midst of it all was Selphie, who had at one point picked up pieces of the debris in her assessment of the damages. Still dressed as a member in the Galbadian military, she looked like a soldier assessing the damage caused from a bombing or a raid. The look of grim and bitter disappointment even added to the image.

Even Squall couldn't help but lament the loss of the stage. It wasn't just Selphie who had enjoyed the structure. Many people of the Garden came here during their free hours as a means of something to do between classes, training and studying. He hadn't been one of them, but he felt their loss all the same.

"This is... _really _bad..." Selphie said aloud as she tossed the broken parts she held in her hand back into the mess that surrounded her.

"Yeah..." Squall said, though only because he couldn't think of anything else.

This startled Selphie - who apparently hadn't realized she had company - and she whirled around on the spot, almost tripping over her own feet as she did. Behind him, Irvine waved cordially at the smaller girl. Selphie did not return the gesture.

The silence that followed the startled squeak Selphie had made in her surprise felt awkward, and Squall found himself being the one to break it. "Everything's been... a little crazy, what with the crash. I guess no one's had the time to clean this place up."

Selphie hummed in agreement, seemingly placated, before turning a saddened gaze back towards the stage. That moment of awkward silence still permeated the air but this time Squall was at a loss for words on how to disrupt it. Selphie managed to relieve him of the burden. "You know something," she started. "This sucks."

Irvine snorted behind him while Squall fought the urge to point out this statement was obvious. Encouraged, Selphie continued on. "I mean _really _sucks. And do you know the saddest part is that I wanted to see someone perform on this stage."

She whirled around to face them, her hands behind her back. "I've seen tons of people in here already, hanging out, laughing and talking, sitting around on the equipment, but no one actually picks up an instrument or performs on this thing. It's - it's like a prop or something, when it should be so much more. So I thought about organizing some kind of concert - publicity for the Garden Festival, you know? It was gonna be awesome, and I had all kinds of ideas about how it would go too. I even had my eyes on some people to form a band, with instruments picked out and everything."

The energy that had seemed the fill the smaller girl throughout this confession seemed to deflate in light of their surroundings. She hung her head as she sighed lightly, almost as though she'd been snapped out of her daze and had returned to reality. "I guess _that's _not happening anytime soon, huh?"

Irvine suddenly nudged him from behind and when he gestured for some assistance the sharpshooter simply shrugged and gestured back in Selphie's direction. The action went unnoticed by the smaller girl as Squall huffed in frustration, throwing a scowl at Irvine and his 'helpfulness' for good measure. He turned back to take in the sight of the stage, stepping forward and wincing slightly as broken pieces crunched beneath his boots. He knew that he had to at least try but he still felt stupid when he eventually found his voice and did. "...I don't think it's _that _bad..."

Selphie snorted and made a derisive laugh that was not meant to show her amusement. Squall rolled his eyes in exasperation, finding himself feeling defensive of his words and wanting to defend them. "I'm serious. Look, the stage isn't completely destroyed..."

But it was barely holding together either. If someone were to step on the already weakened platform, they would be risking serious injury. Still, Squall found himself looking beyond the obvious. "It can still be rebuilt. It may take some time but with a little hard work it'll be the same. And even if it can't, you can still do something. So what if there isn't a stage. A performance is still a performance, isn't it? It's not about the stage, it's about the performers and the atmosphere. As long as everyone's enjoying themselves it's still a success, right?"

Slowly, _very _slowly, the brunette girl turned to regard the SeeD as she stared at him critically. Her lack of answers left his questions hanging in the air, echoing back at him and enhancing the embarrassment that was mounting more and more as the seconds past. Finally, Selphie burst out laughing, giggling almost uncontrollably. Squall was startled, not because of the sound but because of the action itself.

"Wow..." Selphie managed to breathe out through a giggle as Squall fixed her with a confused look. "I can't believe this is happening. Squall Leonhart - of _all people_ - is _actually _being sensitive and trying to cheer me up. Now, I haven't been at the Garden for very long, but even _I _know that's gotta be something for the record books."

Squall frowned and folded his arms across his chest, feeling more than just a little offended at the remark. Suddenly, he was very aware of what Zell was forced to put up with from the other students, Seifer specifically, and he could no longer justify his annoyance in light of the younger SeeD grappling with his temper.

Selphie just winked at him, clearing unaware or uncaring of the way her actions could be perceived. "Man, do I really look _that _depressed or something?"

_Why does she think that just because _I'm _the one trying to cheer her up_? He couldn't help the resentment building at the accusation, at the thought that someone must have hit rock bottom to get him to stand up and say something. It wasn't like he didn't care or anything, he just acted differently around people. But he wasn't just about to let things fall apart and act like it was the end of the world when something went wrong. You just had to look at things from a different perspective.

"Uh oh..." Selphie chimed suddenly, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Now he's gone into his own little world."

"You mean's Squall's got Real Estate somewhere in there?" Irvine asked, looking confused. Unimpressed, Squall settled on intensifying his glare, but it was a useless weapon here, or so it would seem.

Selphie just giggled at Irvine's question. "Uh-huh. It's this special place in his head where he's always thinkin' 'bout stuff. But, as usual, he's probably not gonna tell us what the purpose of this most recent visit is."

Squall's frown deepened as he wondered darkly why the hell she had to tease him. He was just trying to help. It hadn't even been his idea in the first place and now he looked like a grade A fool for giving in. He didn't know why he just didn't walk away. Despite Irvine's annoying tendencies, he could have ignored them and this was most definitely not worth it.

Selphie laughed again, seemingly ignoring the frown that just kept growing. "Well, at any rate, I _do _feel a lot better. Thanks Squall, but you don't have to worry about me. _I'm _supposed to be the cheerleader around here, remember? It'd give me a bad reputation if someone found out that _you _of all people had to cheer _me _up. Oh and Irvine, you're not allowed to tell anyone!"

As Irvine made a motion to zip his mouth shut, Squall reached the end of his rope. He wasn't about to just stand there and let someone make fun of him because of what was decidedly a stupid judgement call. "Yeah, whatever. You can take over Irvine. I'm done."

He turned his back on the diminutive SeeD and strode past Irvine, purposely knocking his shoulder into the taller man and forcing him to spin around as a result. Uncaring, Squall made his way back up the stairs and away from the pair, fuming internally and cursing his lapse of judgement. But just as he reached the top of the stairs, the public address came alive and the Headmaster's voice filled the halls from the speakers that surrounded him. "Will Squall Leonhart report to the bridge. Repeat..."

He sighed to himself in frustration, wondering what the Headmaster needed him for before he made his way out of the quad to answer the page.

* * *

"Oh man..." Selphie said as she winced, watching as Squall turned the corner and started up the next set of stairs. She bit her lip nervously, recalling how upset he had seemed just seconds ago. "I think I might have totally gone too far with the teasing..."

"Nah," Irvine said consolingly. It looked like he was brushing off what had happened like it was dirt off his sleeve. "I wouldn't worry none about it. He's just sensitive after all."

_Sensitive? And Squall? Together? In the same sentence? Co-existing with one another? _Selphie could fathom it. Well... that wasn't entirely true. Technically he _was _trying to be helpful before. Still, she tilted her head from side to side, trying to figure it out. She wondered how, if he was so sensitive, he could come off as so cold all the time? Thinking back, she realized that the only time he had not been in his 'I'm eternally moody' default was back at the Town Square in FH, when they had their reunion. She didn't wonder if there was something he wasn't letting them in on, she knew it just from that exchange alone.

She caught Irvine mutter something under his breath, but did not hear what he had actually said. "Hmm?" She prompted, tilting her head to one side in her curiosity.

She managed to startle him, but the sharpshooter managed to recover. Much too quickly for her to get a read on what he'd been focused on. Instead, he just waved her off. "Nah, just thinkin' 'bout sumthin'."

"Oh?" Selphie asked suspiciously as she folded her arms across her chest. She was almost afraid to ask but did so anyway. "And what _exactly _are you thinking about? Do I need to ask whether or not it's G rated or do I really wanna know?"

"Oh ye of little faith," Irvine said as though she had physically wounded him. "It just so _happens _that I've gotten myself an idea that ya just might benefit from."

"I'm not going out with you."

"It ain't _that_," Irvine waved away. "Though that's a whole 'notha topic altagetha. Nah, I got ta talking ta Squall before we came here. Accordin' ta him, if I can get tha Lieutenant and tha Headmaster on board, tha FH crew they let inta tha Garden just might be able ta fix yer stage. Ya know, make it bigger and better than before. After all, if they can fix a fancy-schamcy place like this here Garden, I reckon a lil' ol' stage should be a cake walk."

"_Really_?!" Selphie exclaimed, elated by the news. "You think they would? Okay it, I mean."

"Don't doubt it," Irvine tipped his hat forward in confidence. "And I'll be there ta back ya. Should be all we need in tha end. That'd mean ya could have your band playin' on stage."

"Woo-hoo!" Selphie exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the spot as she waved her hands in the air. "So what're we waiting for?! Let's get this pah-tay started!"

The small girl clapped her hands together gleefully, even eagerly before she took in the stage itself. She had loved it's simple structure ever since she'd laid eyes on it, but her concert was gonna need something bigger. Loads of people would want to come, and it wouldn't be good for them to have to stare at a tiny stage that might only just barely fit everyone participating. Yes, it would definitely have to be bigger. Maybe a little more decoration than that simple little curtain, and with built in speakers if they could get away with it. An amp built into the floor boards, channeling sound through it, causing them to not only experience the music but to feel it as well. They could even install some strobe lights to flash different colours depending on the tempo, be it fast or slow. When all was said and done, all they would need to have a concert was an excuse, and SeeD most definitely had a reason to celebrate. It wasn't everyday that you botched an attempted assassination from a Sorceress.

Taking in the amount of work she would have to do and then the amount of promoting that would be needed to spread the word, and it was a wonder what she was standing around moping for. Even without the concert to distract her she still had the Garden festival to plan for mid-July and she couldn't afford to just stand there feeling sorry for herself for something that could be fixed in the end.

But because she was so focused on everything that needed to be done, everything that needed to be planned out and coordinated, she didn't notice the smirk that crossed over Irvine's features. The smirk in itself that signified he too had a plan of his own...

* * *

The time it took to leave the quad, board the elevator and meet with the Headmaster was time enough for Squall to calm down, putting the previous exchange out of his mind. He wasn't normally one to hold a grudge unless Seifer was somehow involved, and usually it was easy to just move on with his life, to forget or ignore the transgression. Given a purpose, Squall had made his journey quickly and by the time he reached the third floor, not only was he calm but he remembered that he would be needed for debrief.

So when he was requested to give his account of the events in Fisherman's Horizon, it was without delay or hesitation that he did so. He explained about the initial exchange between the diplomatic team and the Mayor and his wife, to learning of the Galbadian's presence in the town, to dividing the teams to ensure the safety of both FH's leaders and the eviction of the Galbadian forces. For his part, Headmaster Kramer remained silent throughout the debriefing, offering no interrupting until mention of Ellone was made, that the Sorceress had made the strange girl her new target. This did not seem to surprise the Headmaster, who almost seemed to have expected it, though he did interrupt to ask if Squall knew why the Sorceress was after her. Having his suspicions, he kept them to himself and explained that they were unable to learn anymore without jeopardizing the life of Mayor Dobe in the process. The Headmaster seemed to accept this and had fallen silent until Squall finished giving his report.

"I see," Headmaster Kramer said at last, his gaze thoughtful, far away. "So it would seem as though the Sorceress no longer sees SeeD as a threat."

"It's likely she assumed the missiles hit their target, sir," Squall stated, having trouble believing that SeeD would be so easily disregarded unless the enemy believed they had already been taken care of. From the sounds of the soldiers, they had been shocked to learn of SeeDs' presence in the pacifist town and their continued survival. Even Seifer had been caught unawares.

"Nevertheless," Headmaster Kramer said, "it would appear that Ellone is the Sorceress' ultimate objective." He appeared to mull the thought over momentarily before proceeding. "The White SeeDs came to collect her at just the right time, I should think, otherwise things might have ended quite differently. And the Galbadians had every intention of burning the city down regardless of the success or failure of their mission?"

Squall nodded in response and the Headmaster hummed thoughtfully to himself. "It would make sense. Burning the places she has already searched would limit the number of places Ellone has left to hide. But it does seem odd. Why doesn't Edea simply seek out the White SeeDs? She would have known they would be the ones to protect her."

The youth frowned thoughtfully, having wondered the exact same thing. If the Sorceress had been the mind behind Garden and SeeD, one would think she would have immediately known that the White SeeDs were Ellone's guardians and that they would have her with them. Instead, she was intent on searching everywhere in the world to find her, using unnecessary manpower that would be best served to fuel her forces. But before he could speculate any further, the Headmaster clapped his hands together before leaning forward in his seat. "It would appear that the time to take action is now."

_About time, _Squall mused grimly.

"However, SeeD is unable to do anything at all until the Garden is back to its operational status," Headmaster Kramer explained. "This will give me some time to make the necessary preparations and put things to order before we act. An announcement will be made once I have everything set into place. Dismissed."

Offering a salute to the Headmaster, Squall turned on his heel and left the room, the door sliding shut behind him with an audible _click _as he made his way back to the elevator.

* * *

"So Xu," the Headmaster said once the door was shut soundly. She started at being addressed so suddenly, having stood behind the Headmaster throughout the entirety of the debriefing, listening closely to the recount of the events she had personally overseen a short time ago.

Immediately, she trained her sights onto her superior, giving him her full attention. "About what we discussed earlier. Have you made a decision?"

Xu inhaled slowly before letting out the breath, knowing she would have to choose her words carefully. It wasn't a matter of offending the Headmaster, but a matter of making her point as clearly as she could manage. Personal opinion might interfere with her message's intent, but if conducted properly it could be utilized as her greatest strength. She had known that the elder man would broach the subject sooner or later, and apparently now seemed to be as good a time as any to discuss this. "I concede that you are right," she said slowly. "They fight the same, they think the same, they strategize the same. But that's where the similarities end. In every other aspect, they're polar opposites of each other."

"And this should alleviate your earlier concerns," Headmaster Kramer finished with a nod and a smile. Xu had the feeling that the elder man had known this would be the ultimate result. Again and again the Garden's founder continued to prove that his profiling skills were of a level of no other and she found herself wondering how it was he was able to see what others couldn't.

Still, she frowned as there was more to her report than her conceding a point. "Regardless, he's not ready. Not for what you have planned."

"But you do agree that he _is _the best suitable candidate," the Headmaster pressed gently. "The only one capable of this job."

"I believe that he is a viable choice," Xu answered back neutrally. "I believe that, given a few years, some further experience in the field, that he will _be _the best suitable candidate. But as of now, it's too early, too _soon_ to be throwing him to the wolves."

"I sense a personal stake in this."

Xu sighed, knowing she should have expected the thought. And it was true, though only partly. For as long as she had served in the Garden, Xu's first concern was the continued existence of SeeD, for strengthening their military might and for making these tough decisions and choices. "I won't insult your intelligence by denying it outright. There are... circumstances... about this decision that I don't understand and that I'm not altogether comfortable with, both personally and professionally. But it's not just about me, it's about the Garden as a whole."

Xu pursed her lips together as she waited for the Headmaster to interject. He didn't, so she proceeded. "We have only _just _gotten over the Faction Feud, a feud brought on by Norg's accusations of your lack of judgement. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, a large number of the students did side with Norg. Doing this will only justify their lingering concerns, and you've already been accused of favouritism as it is. This change will not make any sense to them otherwise, and they're not going to stay quiet about it."

"While I agree that the situation is still tense," Headmaster Kramer spoke confidently, "I can assure you that very few would object to this decision. He already possesses the necessary qualifications, and the support of his peers. In regards to experience, he has had enough of that given the events of the last month."

"With all due respect, sir," Xu said, having long since circled around so that she was facing the headmaster. Leaning forward, she pressed both hands against the desk that now separated them, so that she could better offer eye-to-eye contact with the elder man. "It took me six _years _to get to where I am today. Only time will give us the results we need. Rushing things won't do anyone any good."

They were silent, each staring the other down in the hopes of some form of victory. It did not last long and Xu was shocked when the Headmaster leaned back in his chair. "You're right about that, Angela. And to be honest I wish we _did _have the proper time to prepare. Sadly, we don't. Norg made certain of this when he kept SeeD's true goal a secret from the students. Edea's escalation of matters hasn't helped matters either. I fear that both situations will have ill consequences to us all. It is _because _of this fact that we must act _now_. It sounds cold to say so, but he will simply have to learn to swim in deeper waters sooner than either of us are comfortable with."

"Yeah?" Xu asked as she leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. "And what happens if he sinks like a stone?"

To her surprise the Headmaster chuckled at her analogy. "Now you of all people, especially given what you have witnessed today, should know better. He's already given you evidence enough to believe that he will be fine in the end."

He swivelled his chair around so that it faced the window behind him. Xu frowned, frustrated. She knew he was right. From everything she had witnessed, she should have more faith, but she was a cynic by heart, conditioned to see the numerous ways an operation could go wrong as she sifted for a means of how it could go right. Headmaster Kramer was right. They didn't have the time they would have liked to prepare. But they did still have some time, and it would be better to utilize the scraps that they had at their disposal than to waste them by arguing the point. Then where would they be?

She heard the elder man sigh as he took in the sight offered to him, the expanse of ocean stretching as far as the eye could see. "In the end," she heard him whisper, "it is all we can possibly hope for."

* * *

_Changes!_

_Unfortunately I can't take credit for the conversation between Squall and Dobe. It's actually something that takes place in the game. If you speak to Dobe before you leave the Central Square, you can get this conversation, pending that you keep Squall talking long enough. Now I've tweaked it a bit, since I don't think Dobe would've stayed as quiet as he did in the game, which resulted in the first scene of the chapter. And while it might seem out of character for Xu to feel guilt for eavesdropping, she's also human and (not to come across as sexist) women tend to consider the feelings of other people more than men do. Hope I haven't offended anyone with this statement._

_Also tweaked was the conversation between Squall, Irvine and Selphie - while the majority of it remained the same, I added some explanation between each piece of dialogue to make it flow a bit better. Also, I emphasised another bit of information we recieve from the game as the story progresses. Squall is sensative and doesn't take too well to being teased (he reminds me of my sister, lol). Selphie most likely was surrounded with people who were 'thick skinned' and could take a joke. Obviously, this serves as an issue with the so-called 'leader'._

_And the scene at the very end is foreshadowing for the big event that many people remember, and some feel doesn't make any sense (my mom sure as hell was confused :D). There's not much else to say about it though._


	37. Chapter XXXV: Doubt

_So for those of you who are intimidated by the length of this chapter, I apologize. Originally, this was two chapters, except that where the next chapter was supposed to begin to where it ended was pretty short (about 8 pages) so I decided to combine them._

**Edited: **_07/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXV:  
Doubt**

* * *

Two uneventful days had gone by since the Garden crashed into Fisherman's Horizon. So boringly uneventful, yet packed full of progress. Reinforcements from the Garden had been sent into the quiet pacifist town to make a sweep for more of the enemy, only to discover that there was no one from the Galbadian military left within the perimeter. It seemed that their ploy to send out the tank-like weapon had been a means of distracting everyone from the fleeing soldiers. Whatever they had been after, they were long gone by the time the tank had been defeated. She suspected they were already in another town, plundering it before they burned it to the ground.

It saddened her to think that they were living comfortably here while somewhere else people were suffering. She knew they had to do something, but what could they possibly accomplish with a Garden stranded against a bridge that hadn't been used in decades? No trains would take them to Galbadia or anywhere else for that matter, so they were forced to play the waiting game, at least until the repairs could be finished.

But that didn't leave them all cooped up in the Garden with twiddling their thumbs the only viable means of passing the time. To the surprise of everyone involved with the diplomatic mission and fending off the Galbadians, the Garden's residents were permitted into the pacifist town, though only if they relinquished their weapons, should they be armed while they disembarked, with the men who stood at the very entrance and thus obeyed the laws of the community. Rinoa had expected a backlash to these conditions but it seemed that the freedom to move about overrode the seemingly obsessive habits of carrying weapons and everyone seemed happy to follow these guidelines in order to bask in the fresh air the city provided.

Rinoa was one of these people. The minute the lock down had been rescinded she had ventured into the town proper and had done some much needed shopping. The style of clothes weren't up to snuff with the things she normally purchased but she didn't have the luxury of being picky. So she picked the best of what she had to work with and had left overloaded with bags filled to the brim with clothes and shoes. It had been reminiscent of her life back home in Timber and even in Deling City, where the General's credit card had been at the mercy of her spending sprees. Only now, the sole downside to this trip was the lack of company to enjoy it with.

She tried to understand, knowing that the majority of the others had been away from their home for so long that they were dying to get reacquainted with life itself. But a part of her felt abandoned in spite of it, leaving her with no one to talk to. Quistis spent most of her time in the infirmary, talking to Dr. Kadowaki while Selphie had practically disappeared on her before she could ask her to tag along. By the time she returned, the bubbly brunette had said something about Garden Festival duties to excuse her disappearance. Irvine and Zell had both declined her offer, Zell making up excuses while Irvine had been almost brutally honest, citing that the prospect of shopping with her scared him. She supposed she shouldn't blame him. She could still very barely make out the scars she had gifted him with during their escape from the prison in the desert.

Still, when the shopping expenditure was finish there was nothing left for her to do except find herself at the library alone, looking over the vast number of books that filled the shelves. She got to know Alicia a little better, though usually the younger girl was stuck working and couldn't do much more than offer a friendly greeting. One thing she learned was that the students were now making the calls when it came to literature, from textbooks to leisurely reading. Rinoa was excited at the prospect, suddenly remembering that the hooded robed figures that were the Garden Faculty had been missing since the day Norg had tried to kill them.

But enough was enough. Tired of being alone in a place where she knew very few people, Rinoa had tracked down the rest of the group and managed to persuade them to agree to lunch. It wasn't much, but it was an accomplishment that Rinoa found herself feeling rather proud of. She knew she was being selfish, but the hurt she felt at being all but forgotten just stung too much and while she knew it wasn't fair to drag them away from their daily lives, it wasn't fair to her to be ignored.

But when she arrived at the cafeteria, she found that only three of the four people she had tracked down were waiting for her. Quistis, Zell and Irvine had found a spot somewhere amongst the throng of people, the brawler helpfully rising to his feet and waving her over. By the time she reached the table, she spotted the food that was already there, and realized they had taken the opportunity to order something and start without her.

She was a little concerned that only three of them showed up in the end. Squall had not been expected to join them, specifically because he had not been invited. From what she had heard, he seemed to spend his time alone in the Training Centre, but she had decided to not search him out since they were still not on speaking terms. But Selphie's disappearance - which was starting to become a repeat occurrence - was what caused her to sigh as she sat down.

"Ordered you some lunch," Zell said as he tossed a sandwich in her direction after Irvine and Quistis greeted her. "Know it's not _exactly _gourmet, but it's decent."

"That's alright, I like these sandwiches," Rinoa grinned before accepting the offering. "Though I was _kind _of looking forward to trying one of those hotdogs..."

"Sold out as usual, I'm afraid," Quistis replied as she pulled her salad close to her. "Zell nearly threw a fit when he heard the news."

"Gee Zell," Irvine said with a raunchy grin. Rinoa let her head drop into her hands when she caught the look. "I never thought I'd see a guy whine over a wiener as much as you did."

"Say whatever you want," Zell said as he took the top half of his sandwich up off his meet and began to inspect its contents. Rinoa had learned quickly from the last time they had eaten together that the brawler was a fussy eater. "The hotdogs are _the _best thing on the menu."

"Which is rather sad, if you ask me," Quistis quipped.

"So when's Selphie getting here?" Rinoa asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from over-processed food.

"Couldn't make it," Irvine answered with a shrug as he took his own sandwich. "She's got sumthangs ta do for tha Garden Festival."

"And she's doing it all by herself?" Rinoa asked in wide-eyed wonder. From what she'd already observed, the brunette was almost obsessed with the Garden Festival and had holed herself up in one of the classrooms upstairs to work on those preparations. With all the craziness they'd been confronted with up to this point, the raven-haired girl couldn't help but wonder if there would even be one. She kept this opinion to herself though, not wanting to depress the other girl, but if she really was doing this all by herself then it was unlikely she would be ready in time. "Isn't there anyone around to delegate duties to?"

"Already asked if she wanted any help," Irvine countered, "but she said she was capable o' handlin' it herself. When Rinoa fixed him with an irritated look, the sharpshooter threw his arms up in the air. "She said she could recruit otha members herself, an' she reckoned she'd only be botheran' us if she asked, so she didn'. P'rolly upstairs right now, makin' posters and stuff."

"Well _I'd _join," Rinoa said with a nod. "She's been working _really _hard on this and I think it'd be really fun. I'll ask her about it when I see her next."

"You mean _if _you ever see her..." Zell said between mouthfuls. His face turned sour before he dropped his sandwich and began his inspection once more. "Though I can't really see her doin' _everything _by herself in time for the festival. I doubt there'll even be one this year."

"If that's the case, then maybe we should all give her a hand."

Quistis and Zell stopped eating and exchanged reluctant looks between one another, looking like joining the Garden Festival was like taking a bullet to the face. But Irvine tipped his hat forward, grinning at the sound of it. "Sounds mighty right ta me. Dollet wasn' built in a day, now was it? Reckon she's workin' herself ta a nervous breakdown if ya ask me."

"But would it be enough?" Zell asked almost hesitantly. "I mean, _five _people helping out with the Garden Festival? I remember a couple years back when they had maybe thirty people and they still only barely pulled it off."

"Well, what do _you _think we should do then?" Rinoa asked with a shrug. "You guys are the only I know who'd even be remotely willing to help. Unless we do some serious recruiting, we're probably the only help Selphie's got. I _guess _we could ask Squall and make the number six in total, but I seriously doubt he'd be much help, even if he wanted to in the first place." She took a bite out of her sandwich, chewed it quickly, swallowed and pressed on. "I mean, can you honestly picture _him _of all people putting up decorations or painting posters or organizing something like this willingly? Without suspicion of being on drugs, or being cloned or something else incredibly weird?"

* * *

He could not believe that for the last two days he had been stuck inside this classroom planning out decorations, painting posters and overall helping Selphie organize this stupid festival.

Once he'd finished his debrief, Selphie had managed to catch him on his way to the Training Centre. It was almost like the girl had been staking out the elevator and when he'd asked her what she wanted now, she'd _kindly _reminded him that he had joined the stupid committee in the first place - out of desperation and boredom. She had also decided to _kindly _mention that they had yet to have an official meeting, blaming the mission in Timber, and had _kindly _summed up that she expected to see him in the classroom ready to work.

By now, he was considering asking her to _kindly _throw him in front of an oncoming train.

Squall was most definitely _not _cut out for this sort of thing, for decorating and choosing fabrics or colours that looked good with each other, or went with a theme or anything like that. He was not the 'designer' type and usually did not care if one colour didn't 'accentuate' the look of the colours beneath or around it. He had never taken much stock of it, and resented it whenever Selphie would correct him on the term of a specific colour. None of that mattered to him, so long as he could blend into his surroundings or keep the enemy from doing the same.

But he'd dug his own grave by joining the committee in the first place. He was painfully aware that, had he only been patient and waited at least a half an hour longer the Garden Faculty would have found him and dragged him to the Front Gate where the mission briefing took place. Unfortunately, this did not happen and as a result he couldn't back out now, especially since he was positive that there was no way in hell Selphie would just let him walk away from this obligation.

So he'd swallowed his pride as far down as he could and did everything that the Committee Chair had asked of him. So far, all they'd really done was focus on advertising the damned festival and help paint posters petitioning for volunteers. Along with these posters, they'd set up signup sheets along strategically plotted locations, places that Selphie had mostly thought up with some suggestions he'd made here and there. So far, it wasn't working. Squall didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

He couldn't help but think it strange when he was the first person who had arrived after two days of walking in on Selphie already settled in to work. He spent the first few minutes looking around in case the diminutive SeeD had ducked down out of sight in search of some elusive list or whatever decoration she'd managed to get her hands on. In the end, the classroom was empty and he felt more than a little awkward when he realized he was alone here. So instead of wasting time by sitting there and waiting for her to show up and tell him what to do, he figured he could at least finish up the one poster he hadn't had enough time to paint the previous day.

Making sure that the door was closed, he found the sought after poster and positioned himself so that he would see the person who entered the room before anyone else saw him - enough time to hide the painting and to appear nonchalant and uncaring about his presence here. Once his preparations were in order, he got straight to work. Selphie had taken it upon herself to mark which colours would go where by initialling the spaces and he spread out the necessary colours before he lost himself in the task.

Okay, so maybe he was over-exaggerating how terrible this committee was. It wasn't nearly as bad as he had initially thought it would be. Of course he'd never admit this to anyone or even to himself aloud, but it was almost soothing how simple the task was.

He was so engrossed in the activity that he didn't notice when Selphie finally showed up. Nor did he look up as she crept towards him. He was also unable to do anything when she upended the contents of the box she had carried inside with her, dumping loads of magazines up over his head. Fortunately, the poster had not been harmed in the pile, but he did not take very kindly to the action either and he scowled as Selphie's laughter filled the air. It had taken her five minutes of hysterical laughter to calm down, and even then there was still the occasional snicker that escaped her as she explained to Squall what they were doing today.

The magazines that now lay scattered along the spot he had been seated turned out to be from the company called Timber Maniacs. More importantly, they were _old _issues of Timber Maniacs magazines. If Squall could wager a guess, he would say that they were at least twenty years old and he was almost surprised to discover he wasn't that far off when he looked at the publication date on one of the books.

"So while Quisty, Irvy and I were stuck in that hunk-of-junk tank," Selphie was saying as he inspected the cover of another magazine, "I overheard a couple of guards talking about the magazine and how one of the freelance writers was a soldier back in the day, before he quit and turned journalist."

"So...?" Squall prompted as he replaced the object along the mess the other SeeD had made.

"So..." Selphie said as she placed her hands on her hips in a very Rinoa-like matter, purposely dragging out the syllable. "Irvine said that he went to the Dream World, and that Kiros had said something about talking to the Chief Editor in Timber about Sir Laguna wanting to be a journalist."

_Please no..._ "And?" Squall prompted hesitantly.

"And I did some research a little while after we got back," Selphie concluded triumphantly. "And sure enough, there were articles printed during the war written by a guy named Laguna Loire. Sir Laguna was the guy they were talking about, that much I'm _positive _about and it cost me... and my credit card... a _ton_ to track down all the articles he got printed, but I managed to get them all. They just arrived too - that's why I was so late, I had to go into town to pick them up. And _today, _you and I are sorting these out and adding it to the web page I set up."

Squall arched an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "And what exactly do Laguna's articles have to do with the Garden Festival?"

"Look around, Squall," Selphie encouraged as she gestured about the near empty classroom. "We're the only members here, so we're kinda in a bind here. From these articles I looked at, it didn't sound too good for Sir Laguna when he began his journalism career. But despite the disadvantages he faced, he still overcame adversity and got most of his articles published in the end. _That's _the same thing we're trying to do here, by overcoming adversity and make this _the _best Garden Festival that Balamb Garden's ever seen! These articles are like... inspiration!"

He couldn't help but admit that Selphie had a point there, that it could be inspiration to work hard and turn this predicament into a success. That just because it was just the two of them didn't mean they couldn't pull off the festival as a whole. All the same, as he glanced back at the stack of magazines, Squall found that he would rather continue to paint posters than to read whatever tripe Laguna managed to get published. But as he took in Selphie's expression, at how genuinely excited she seemed at the prospect of sifting through these articles, he found that he had very little choice in the matter. After having paid for everything, he sincerely doubted that she would let him he could get out of this and he suppressed a sigh before nodding reluctantly. "So... where do we start?"

"Well Squall," Selphie replied almost cheekily as she crouched down and picked up one of the magazines. She held it out for him to take. "You grab a magazine and you look for articles that Sir Laguna wrote. From what I saw, they're only about a page long, so we're gonna scan them into the computer and then post the original's on the Garden Festival website, specifically a page I have planned to dedicate to him. I'll work on commentary for the article, so the only thing you have to do is read through the articles and set aside the good ones from the ones that are really bad before summarizing the ones we're gonna put up."

Squall took the magazine and, with a nod, Selphie turned away from him before grabbing a magazine of her own, plopping down at a desk on the opposite end of the room and setting to work. Squall followed suit, opening the one he held in his hands and finding an article written by the former Galbadian soldier. As he sat back down, he decided that maybe he was judging Laguna too harshly. Journalism seemed to be a passion of his, and if he put as much effort into this as he did his monster hunter duties then it might not be near as bad as he thought.

It was worse than he thought.

Squall had not realized it was possible to ramble as much as Laguna did in his articles. This was not an understatement either, the man jumped from topic to topic, never staying on a single subject for more than a few words. Suddenly, he was aware of how Laguna had found it difficult as a near-thirty year old man to get work, but what he couldn't understand was why the publishers of Timber Maniacs had believed this writing to be good enough for freelance work.

At least Laguna turned out to be a somewhat decent speller.

Rolling his eyes at the latest article, Squall tossed it into the growing pile of garbage before picking up a magazine he had yet to look through. He found another article written by the former Galbadian soldier, but this time as he started to read through it he found that it was at least a little interesting. It was a step up from everything else he had muddled through anyway. After reading a few lines he discovered that this article was about a small town Laguna had visited and it took a second to realize that this was about Winhill. A quick glance at the picture made him realize he should have known, because it was of a woman standing at the bar, her face blurred beyond recognition. He didn't have to see it to know that it was Raine, the young pub-owner who had taken in Ellone after her parents had been killed by the Esthar soldiers. She had also taken care of Laguna after he'd lost a chance encounter against a cliff, nearly falling to his death as a result.

He was somewhat surprised that Laguna would even write about this place. He recalled a conversation he had had with Kiros in the dream world, the one that said he wouldn't want to write about Winhill because it would make the small and isolated town a hot spot for tourists and other outsiders. Maybe Laguna had been desperate for the Gil or pushed into writing the article anyway. It wouldn't have surprised him if either situation was true, but even still the former soldier had made the effort to keep as much information about the place and Raine's identity out of the article as possible. It was almost commendable.

That being said, he was forced to stifle a snort as he read about the people in town, about how they were so kind-hearted and welcoming instead of the bigots they really were. No names were mentioned at all in regards to the article, and Raine's position as the pub owner wasn't even broached if he disregarded the photo.

"You're scrutinizing _that _particular article more than the others."

Selphie's voice intruded on his thoughts, startling him and almost causing him to launch about a foot in the air. She paid it no mind, instead looking over his shoulder for a better look. "Is it any good?"

"It's... decent..." Squall admitted through a sigh at great length. Because of his scrutinizing, Selphie had had very little to write about. The last he had seen, she'd been practising balancing a pencil along her nose, feet propped up on the desk adjacent her. She must have given up the attempt in favour of finding out what he was up to.

"Great," Selphie beamed, more than likely at the prospect of doing something productive. She held out her hand expectantly. "Let's see it."

Squall hesitated a moment, his gaze going back to the article - to the picture in particular - before shaking his head. "I'm not altogether sure we should post this one."

Selphie's face fell at the admission and she lowered her arm in favour of planting both hands on her hips in exasperation. "But you just said that it was decent. Why wouldn't we post it?"

He hesitated a moment longer, unsure of how to explain himself before he finally conceded and handed the magazine over, hoping that maybe she would understand once she read it. It wasn't a long article, so it didn't take her very long to read through it, but when she finished she just raised an eyebrow and looked even more confused. "I don't get it," she finally said with the shake of her head. "It sounds like a nice place he visited, but why wouldn't he tell us where it is? Isn't that why he wrote about it in the first place?"

She left the question hanging in the air with her face scrunched up in contemplation. Judging by how long she stayed that way, Squall figured this article in particular was going to bother her, despite it not really being important. He let out a sigh the longer the silence lasted as he realized she would not drop the subject until she got some answers. "It's a small village just outside Galbadian rule. It's called Winhill."

Selphie stared at him almost goggle-eyed before she leaned forward, shoving her face in his and having the effect of invading his personal space. "_How _exactly do you know that?"

"Because I saw it," Squall said as he craned his neck back as far as the desk behind him would allow him to. "When I visited the Dream World recently."

Selphie blinked in surprise, her mouth forming a small 'o' shape before mercifully she took a step back and allowed Squall to sit up straight again. "Oh _yeah_! You're always Sir Laguna when we go there, aren't you?"

_Don't remind me,_ Squall mused silently.

"Hey..." she said suddenly. "That must've been at the same time Zell went to the Dream World as Ward. I wondered what had happened to Sir Laguna at the time, but Ward was by himself. I guess this kind of explains it all."

She nodded to herself, almost as though coming to this conclusion was a job well done, but then she tilted her head to the side almost speculatively. "So... why exactly is Winhill such a huge secret, anyway? Is it like a cult village, with some super-secret plot to overthrow Galbadia or something?"

"I think he would have mentioned that in the article if that was an actual fact," Squall deadpanned.

"So then why all the secrecy?"

Knowing that he had opened this can of worms and that once started, Selphie would not let him change the subject, he sighed and retrieved the magazine from the diminutive girl's hand, folded the book and them held it up with the picture in full view. "It's because of this woman. Her name is Raine. She apparently nursed him back to health after he fell off a cliff. Don't ask how it happened, I have no clue."

"Okay, so she saved his life," Selphie said with a shrug. "But wouldn't that make him want to write about her all the more? Did she _tell _him not to?"

"Well, no..." Squall answered. He was about to explain further when Selphie interrupted.

"So then what's the big problem?"

Squall allowed his head to fall into his left hand, deciding that he needed to change tactics. If he could pick up on something as sensitive as the subject matter, why was it so difficult for everyone else to see it? "Do you remember Julia from Deling City?"

"Oh yeah!" Selphie responded almost excitedly. "I remember her! She's the girl who played the piano at that hotel. The one Sir Laguna was sweet on and had trouble talking to until that one night."

"Right."

"Did he ever see her again?"

Squall let out a sigh. "No. In fact, when he didn't come back to hear her song like he said he would, she married someone else."

Selphie's face fell at the news. "But... but... that's _horrible_! I thought they were in love? Why didn't she wait for him?"

"Why do you think I would know?" Squall asked with an arched eyebrow.

"_Because_ you're Sir Laguna in the Dream World, duh!" Selphie explained, like it was the simplest explanation in all of existence. "So you would know what he's thinking about. There's _gotta _be some reason why she didn't wait for him."

"Just because I'm stuck as _Laguna_ doesn't mean I have access to _Julia's _thoughts," Squall countered. "And given the reaction he had when he found out, Laguna didn't know either."

"Okay, okay," Selphie said with what sounded like a disappointed sigh. It was nearly a full minute later when she spoke up again. "So who did Julia end up marrying anyway?"

Squall - who had been just about to start reading another article - looked up at the question. He had heard the answer already and didn't know what to make of it at the time, but now it felt like they were invading someone else's personal life. It was something he didn't want to get into. "Why is that so important?"

"You're seriously gonna ask me that?" Selphie asked incredulously as she folded her arms across her chest. "You just told me that the love of Sir Laguna's life ended up marrying another guy! I wanna know who it is that swept Julia off her feet when Sir Laguna couldn't come back in time. How could it _not _be important?!"

"Or the curiosity is killing you and you just want to know," Squall threw in. Selphie stuck out her tongue but then watched him almost expectantly and the SeeD sighed in exasperation. "Ibrihim Caraway, the General of the Galbadian Military. Satisfied?"

He was just about to return to his earlier point but Selphie's sudden squeal interrupted him, forcing him to drop the magazine and wince. The look on the girl's face was shock and awe. He didn't need to ask if she'd connected the dots. "So Sir Laguna's Julia is Rinoa's mom?!"

"Yep, small world," Squall responded uncaringly.

The rest of Selphie's shocked exclamation became more of a mantra as she paced back and forth, saying the words 'oh my god' over and over again, forming a seemingly endless loop. Deciding that it would be better to wait for her to get over her shock, Squall reclaimed the magazine he had dropped minutes prior and went back to resume his reading.

But his peripheral vision caught a pause in the movement and he looked over the top to find that Selphie had suddenly come to a full stop. The expression of shock was still there, but now it was intermingled with a sadness with a grieving kind of quality to it. "But... that means he doesn't know that she died."

Now she had his full attention. Squall said up from his lounging position in his chair, though he realized too late that he wasn't supposed to care about this. Fortunately for him, Selphie seemed so absorbed in her recent discovery and hadn't bothered to look in his direction. "She died? When did this happen?"

"Rinoa was turning five that year," Selphie explained. "She told us when we were back at the prison, when we thought..." She trailed off but shook herself in order to continue. "There was a car accident. Julia was the only one who died and, according to Rinoa, that was the start of her problems with her dad. I thought it was sad then, but now that we know that Rinoa's Julia is the same one from the Dream World, it makes it even more horrible."

Squall thought back to the article he had read and then back to his trip to the Dream World, remembering how Raine had talked about an article on Julia, on how her 'true' love had gone off to war. Caraway had most likely been a rebound affair, though he doubted that it had been a simple matter of course for either parties involved. That being said, he had tuned out a majority of the conversation altogether so he hadn't heard much of it. So he shrugged almost dismissively in response to Selphie's musing, wondering how much longer she would dwell on the subject.

Fortunately not much longer, because Selphie chose right then to get back on track. "But what does Julia getting married have to do with Sir Laguna wanting to keep Winhill a Secret? I get that he like-liked Julia, so he always went to see her play, and the whole marriage thing musta been a drag... wait... did he _like _Raine? Like, like-_like _ her?"

"Seemed that way," Squall answered with a shrug.

"Oh!" Selphie's mood took a 180 degree turn in that very moment. Seconds before she was mourning the end of a relationship that never was and now she was getting all giddy at the sounds of another one starting. Squall rolled his eyes in response. He was happy for them but that was no cause to get overly excited about. "I get it! I never thought Sir Laguna could be so _romantic_!"

Squall arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Oh totally!" Selphie said, nodding back at him knowingly. "Think about it. He learns that Julia didn't wait for him in the end, getting married to someone else. But by then, he's all in love with Raine now, but he doesn't want the same thing to happen to her, so instead of writing a proper article, he basks Winhill in complete secrecy and mystery while waiting for her to reciprocate. It's _totally _something out of a romance novel! Like the girl who got stuck in a tower by an evil witch and the prince who came to rescue her!"

"So... are we or are we _not _publishing this article?" Squall asked, frowning as he watched her stare into space with a dreamy-like expression.

Selphie started slightly at the sound of his voice disrupting her thoughts and then rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Then she directed her attention at the article and frowned in contemplation. "Knowing the back-story from this article makes me really want to post it. I mean, it's an important time in Sir Laguna's life, right? But... he _really _didn't want anyone to know about Raine, so it'd be like an insult to him to post it. But then, why would he even write the article in the first place?"

Squall shrugged. "He probably needed the money."

"_Or_," Selphie said thoughtfully. "_Maybe_ he really wanted to write the article because the other people were so nice, he thought it'd be selfish _not _to. So instead he gave the town a touch of anonymity to add to its charm."

He knew he certainly didn't remember Winhill in that light, and had initially figured this was Laguna's means of getting back at the little village who distrusted outsiders. It wouldn't have been too hard to figure out where this place was and anyone who was willing to try would have figured it out in the end. Laguna was spiteful enough to try it, and instantly he thought about the soldier in Deling City who had been forced to move Laguna's car out of the way, only because their rolls had been reversed before he had left for Timber. It wasn't a huge stretch. And even though he had been nice to the people of Winhill, no one had an inexhaustible amount of patience.

"So it's decided then!" Selphie exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. "We'll scan the article, but we'll respect Sir Laguna's wishes and keep the town's name, location and Raine's identity a secret. Sound good?"

_Whatever,_ Squall mused as he shrugged. "You're the boss."

"Indeed I am," Selphie announced with a grin before she eyed the clock at the back of the room. "Uh oh... all of this talking passed the time by a _ton_, and the Art Committee's gonna want this room soon. We better clean this place up and hightail it outta here before they get here. We can finish looking through these articles tomorrow."

She sounded so cheerful at the prospect and yet Squall almost openly groaned but he managed to keep his mouth shut and his opinion to himself as he began the task of cleaning up the mess Selphie had made earlier. The magazines he'd already looked through were returned to the box Selphie had brought them in, while the ones he had not were added to their supplies in the cabinet. Selphie locked up once everything else had been put away.

Less than five minutes later, Selphie had locked the door behind them and they started down the hall. But when they reached the elevator, Selphie climbed in and rode it downstairs first. It was a means of making sure no one found out about his role in the Committee and though it delayed him from reaching the Training Center, he didn't mind taking these extra precautions. The elevator came back up about a minute later and, after the doors parted he entered the contraption, pressing the button that would take him to the ground floor and watched as they shut.

Judging from what he had heard from Selphie, Squall figured that she, Quistis and Irvine had already come to the conclusion that the Dream World was real, just a part of their past. It was even more likely that Zell had heard everything from them, but he still wanted to be sure. Zell was loud enough without knowing he had been left out of something. But one thing was for sure. He still needed to tell them all of the cause, and it was getting more and more annoying how there was always something to distract him from going over this with them. He resolved then and there that he would meet up with them before heading off to the Training Centre and lay it all out on the table.

But just as the elevator started downstairs, he heard the light chime that signalled an announcement was about to start and assumed the subject matter would be either a summons or some other mundane thing that was none of his business. It had already been a couple days since the Headmaster had decided to announce what was happening, except he had yet to follow through on this promise. He had long since given up on anything happening about it.

"Attention everyone," the Headmaster's voice boomed out, distracting the youth from his thoughts and forcing his attention towards the speaker on the left hand corner of the elevator. The serious tone in the elder man's voice could mean only one thing. "This is Headmaster Kramer speaking. As you are all well aware, a lot has happened in the last few days, and I can only begin to apologize for the lack of explanation in its wake. This news is important and I ask for your full and undivided attention."

So, finally the elder man was ready to do something about the Sorceress. Squall folded his arms across his chest expectantly, waiting to hear what he had to say, how _much _he was going to say.

"As everyone is already well aware, the Garden is being repaired as we speak - a grand thank you to the skill hands of FH. But once the repairs have been completed, the Garden will be leaving Fisherman's Horizon. Unfortunately, it is with a heavy heart that I must confess I will not be accompanying you all on this next journey."

* * *

There was only so long a group of people could get away with just sitting around in the cafeteria, doing nothing except talking amongst each other, though it had been entertaining while it had lasted. Quistis and Irvine had traded notes with Zell and Rinoa about things they had learned, specifically about the Dream World. Apparently, it was real. While they had been stuck in that tin-can tank, the trio had overheard a conversation about a former Galbadian soldier writing articles for a magazine, and that Selphie had managed to track them down upon her return to the Garden. That in itself had been a real shocker, and both of them had been floored by the discovery.

They had wandered out into the hall, seemingly deciding unanimously that they did not want to end this lunch date just yet. Rinoa was glad for this, because it meant they could hang out for a little while longer and that she wouldn't have to go back to entertaining herself or wandering the Garden alone. It was selfish, but she was at least glad the others were enjoying themselves as much as she was.

They'd spotted Selphie coming along the same side as the infirmary, but before the shorter girl could say anything at all, the PA started to sound throughout the building, transporting Cid's voice all over the place. Everyone who was in the halls seemingly stopped what they were doing in order to listen to what the elder man said. Rinoa doubted that the man utilized the system just to hear the sound of his own voice and the reaction of the students and SeeDs surrounding them told her she was right.

But what Cid had decided to tell them had shocked everyone into inaction. Exclamations filled the air, almost completely drowning out the sound of the elder man's voice as everyone reacted to the news. Even Rinoa found herself thunderstruck. Granted, she was not a student nor did she know the Headmaster nearly as well as everyone else here but she found herself unable to imagine the Garden without him. She couldn't help but wonder what had driven him to such a decision.

Zell and Quistis in particular appeared shell-shocked at the revelation, while Selphie had clapped her hands over her mouth in her shock. While he looked taken aback at the unexpected circumstances, Irvine at least looked less affected than everyone else. Rinoa assumed it was because the sharpshooter was native to Galbadia Garden and was thus not near as close to the elder man as everyone else here was.

Rinoa's thoughts were briefly drawn to a bit of what they talked about back in the cafeteria. Zell had mentioned that Squall had tried to tell him something just before the Garden crashed into FH, and she wondered if this had been it. Then again, she was sure he would have betrayed that knowledge, even if he was closed off like a bank vault.

"As most of you are aware," Cid continued despite the sounds that filled the hallway, "I have been with this Garden since before its construction. I have prided myself on its successes over the years we have been in operation. I have even felt pride in its failures, because no one can learn anything at all if we do everything right all of the time. But I am ashamed to admit there has been a secret that has been kept from you for some time, in large due to my own short comings."

"Wow," Zell said, sounding genuinely surprised. "You think he's gonna tell everyone the Sorceress is his wife?"

This resulted in glares being thrown in the brawler's direction, who winced sheepishly. Rinoa could see the gears turning in the blonde fighter's head and knew he was trying to decide how best to explain himself. She did not envy him and would never wish to be in his position. The others obviously thought it was a really bad joke and she wondered what they would say when they found out it was actually true.

"Which brings me to my point," the Headmaster continued. "The journey you will all be embarking from this point forward will be a tough one. One filled with many battles, many obstacles, and many tough decisions. Garden's purpose – Garden's _true _purpose – is to train SeeDs to fight against and defeat the Sorceress. _That _is why Garden and SeeD were established in the first place, or at least that was the original intention."

The exclamations caused by the Headmaster's sudden resignation were dwarfed by the shocked noises that filled the air at this declaration. The colour drained from everyone's faces as they took in this news, that all along this mercenary faction for hire was meant to stand against the very threat that shook this world to the core. People feared the Sorceress, and now these youths who had been trained all their lives to fight were being told they were to stand against the proverbial boogy-man. Again, Rinoa found herself not envying them, though she felt immense sorrow at knowing that these people must truly feel betrayed.

Like everyone else, Zell's face had drained of any colour and he stood stark still, staring at the speaker like it had just punched him in the gut. Always looking so composed, Quistis now looked lost, like she had just realized she'd taken the wrong path all along. Even Irvine – who always looked calm and nonchalant – looked shaken. He wasn't a SeeD, but even he seemed to know the implications of being an affiliate of a Garden – any one of them it would seem. He would most likely be drawn into the fight, regardless of his own wishes.

"I know it comes as a great shock to learn this, now of all times, when a Sorceress is bolstering her strength in Galbadia," Cid said, and he sounded immensely sincere as he spoke. "I will not waste what precious time we have remaining by pointing fingers and making excuses. But I will _not _sugar coat the truth with fanciful words, either. As a result of this mission, of SeeD's ultimate goal, the Garden will now act as a mobile base. I will not tell you that this path is cut and dry. Everyone here as a choice and I will not take that away from you. So those who feel that they cannot stand under such weight may remain in Fisherman's Horizon and go wherever they so choose. Know that no-one who remains will think poorly of your decision."

At this Rinoa sighed in relief, knowing that everyone here had a choice, a way out. No one was being drafted into a fight they had no intention of participating in. They could choose to fight or to walk away from this life.

"Even so, I am not leaving you without the appropriate preparations," Cid was saying. "Just because I will no longer serve as Headmaster does not mean I am leaving you high and dry. The administrative staff will continue to manage the Garden as usual, and will be comprised completely by members of the Faculty. As many of you may have already noticed, the Garden Faculty are no longer within the Garden. Their working contract with us has been terminated indefinitely."

For the first time since the announcement had been made, Rinoa heard the sounds of mirth flowing throughout the halls. The declaration that the strange robed men would no longer terrorize the students or SeeDs with their outrageous rule tasking or their obsessive control. Rinoa had wondered about the disappearance of Norg's goons, though looking back she realized it was an inevitable result. Without Norg to hold weight over him, the Headmaster was finally free to do things as he so wished.

"Because of the Garden Master's sudden disappearance as well as my abrupt retirement, the Garden is without leadership or qualified personnel to oversee this endeavour. As a result, there will be a number of promotions to those who have proven themselves time and again over the course of their career, all for the sake of the Garden and SeeD."

"The Lieutenant is going to be one of them," Quistis said, sounding confident. Rinoa looked over at the elder girl and found that she was confident. Her entire demeanour had taken a shift since the announcement began. She still looked unnerved by what they had learned, but the composure she had sported all of this time was beginning to return. Rinoa felt sure the elder girl was right because of it. "She's been running SeeD for three years now, and she's done so as effectively as the Headmaster has run this Garden, maybe even moreso. It would be a crime to see her passed up for elevation."

"The new job assignments will be effective immediately," Cid continued. "Though there will be time to prepare as we wait for the repairs to be completed. I hope that each and every one of you will welcome the new administration with open arms."

"'Course I will," Zell said, looking like he might actual anticipate these changes. "Seifer's not a forerunner this time."

Rinoa frowned but opted not to say anything. After everything Seifer had done, the time to defend him had long since passed. She couldn't help the indignation she felt at the attack on her ex-boyfriend but she also understood that she had no foot to stand on. Everyone at the Garden had known Seifer longer than she had. For a while she told herself that she had seen the _real _Seifer Almasy, but in reality she probably only saw what she'd wanted to during that summer.

It was at this point that the Headmaster started running through the list of people who were being given elevated statuses. The first surprised Rinoa as Cid mentioned a newly inaugurated SeeD member named Nida Kent would be acting as the pilot. She saw Zell lean over and ask Quistis whether or not someone by that name had graduated already and frowned lightly, reminding herself that Squall had already told her they had been fresh graduates when they had been assigned to her. Still, it surprised her that someone so fresh in the field was being granted full reign of the Garden controls. He had to be a trustworthy and responsible individual to be granted such an honour.

Regardless of her thoughts, the Headmaster continued to run down the list of each and every member of the new administration. People cheered and applauded friends names were called, some groups larger than others at some points.

"We shall be leaving the post of Garden Master vacant for the time being," Cid started again. After each name was called, he would leave a gap in order for reactions to ensue before he continued. "But the responsibilities of the position will be divided and filled by members of the administrative staff. Overseeing operation of the Garden and the administrative staff in its entirety will be the responsibility of the newly promoted Lieutenant-Commander of the Garden, Angela Xu."

"Wow," Selphie said, turning to regard Quistis in amazement. "You called that one."

"Of course," Quistis responded with a shrug, though Rinoa could tell the elder girl was rather proud. "Everything I said before is true, she really has been running her tasks of the Garden highly efficiently. But it's not difficult to spot. She used to mentor me when I got here, and even then I knew she would go far."

Many people seemed to be in agreement, because Rinoa could barely hear Quistis' response over the loud cheers and shouts from the Lieutenant's promotion. So far, she had received the most positive exclamations from everyone and somehow Rinoa found that she wasn't at all surprised. After seeing her fight in FH, the raven-haired girl was more than convinced that Cid had picked the right person for the job.

"And last, but certainly not least," Cid continued after another pause. Everyone looked up suddenly, their stances and their features betraying their surprise at this announcement. Rinoa was too, because she had thought Xu's promotion would have concluded the announcement, leaving Cid nothing else to do but to give them his best wishes. Apparently, this was not the case. Beside her, Zell and Selphie exchanged glances between each other before turning to Irvine and Quistis. The sharpshooter shrugged while Quistis looked just as confused as they did, leaving no illusion that everyone had been left in the dark.

"Because of the dangers that come from this new journey, this mission that will result in many battles and it is imperative that a strong and capable leader be in place to assure that casualties remain at the bare minimum."

Rinoa frowned, wondering who exactly would fill those shoes. Certain Xu should have been enough. The looks on everyone else's faces seemed to suggest they thought the same thing.

"This position is exceptionally important," Cid went on to say. "It is imperative that the person who takes up this post, this responsibility, be capable of handling the reigns of this Garden. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I announce that Squall Leonhart will be the Garden's new Commander."

* * *

He had been listening to the announcement with a feeling of relief at finally being able to do something. He had listened to the names that had filled the air with the sense that the Headmaster was trying to make up for past mistakes. But as he reached the final name, he felt like time had slowed suddenly, inexplicably, his stomach sinking lower and lower with the dread that filled him. This had only happened to him a few times, most recently during the parade in Deling City. Once when Irvine made the shot that had missed, and again when he had been struck in the chest with the ice spear conjured by the Sorceress. The shock was enough to take his breath away, but he forced himself to calm down, thinking that maybe he had just misheard the elder man.

But as he ran the announcement through his mind again and again, he started to have some doubts of this logic. Still, he was sure it was a mistake. Headmaster Kramer was _not_ an idiot. There was no possible way he would have been appointed as the leader of the Garden, not when the elder man had stated so clearly what they needed in that role. A strong and capable leader he sure as hell was not and even as he thought of this he had the evidence to back up his claim. The disastrous mission in Timber, where he had not only failed in their objective but almost dissolved the contract as a whole because of his inability to keep his opinions to himself. The assassination attempt in Deling City, which had resulted in his near death and the capture of nearly everyone involved. Not exactly confidence inspiring, putting the leader of those failed operations in charge of a whole fleet of SeeDs.

So it was obviously a mistake... wasn't it?

"Commander Leonhart will be responsible for devising SeeD's battle plans and Garden's next destination," Headmaster Kramer continued. Squall's stomach sank further, because there was no longer any way he could delude himself from the truth. "I expect everyone to give him your full support."

_This isn't happening, _Squall thought in horror. _This seriously can_not_ be happening. _

"If there are any objections to anything I have said in this announcement, feel free to speak to me personally."

Oh he objected alright. In fact, he was absolutely, positively convinced that there was no one else in this Garden or even among the people in FH who objected to this farce more than he did, and he would make sure that the Headmaster was aware of this fact.

The PA chimed, signalling an end to the announcement. This was followed by another chime, signalling that the elevator had reached its destination. As the doors parted, Squall could see a pair of students reaching the doors, but pausing upon seeing him inside. Fixing them a glare that warned them to back off, he leaned forward, pressed the button marked for the third floor and watched as the doors slid shut once again. Arms folded across his chest, he continued to fix his scowl at the door, mentally preparing as though he were facing an upcoming battle. In a sense, he was.

* * *

Silence filled the halls at the latest name. Not so much as a whisper filled them as the weight of the news sunk in. The first thing she felt as shock, followed closely by indignation. It was not for herself, who would not be affected at all by the Garden and its decisions, but it was for the people who would be affected, the people who served the Garden every day, and even to the one whose name had just caused an entire hallway to freeze. She was still mad at him, sure, but she would not wish this on even her worst enemy.

She could see her shock mirrored in the eyes of her friends, the very people who had been with her throughout this endeavour. Clearly they were thinking the same as she was, that this was insane, that the Headmaster was not in his right mind if he was serious about all of these changes. Everything up to this point had either been fine or acceptable, but _this_? For this there was no excuse.

It stretched for what felt like a long while after Cid had wrapped up his announcement. But then the silence was shattered when someone further down the hall cheered, and soon everyone else was following suit. Watching as the students cheered and roared, the sounds booming throughout the whole building Rinoa felt like she was stuck in some movie, where something horrible was happening and yet she alone realized it. How could no one else see what she was seeing? That the Headmaster was leaving the Garden and putting in charge a seventeen year old teenager who probably had no better idea of how the Garden should be run than the next SeeD? Who had only been in command of two operations to her count, and that they hadn't exactly gone smoothly.

"What is Cid _thinking_?" She burst out, her voice almost drowned out by the roar of the people surrounding her and her group. She found herself repeating the question when Quistis and Irvine fixed her looks told her they had not heard a word. "_Why_ is he putting Squall in charge of the Garden?! That's like putting a car on permanent auto pilot!"

"Only the Headmaster knows the answer to that," Quistis said uncertainly, almost worriedly.

"What the _hell_, man?!" Zell exclaimed next, shaking his head in his disbelief. "There's gotta be some kind of mistake, right? The Headmaster's not stupid, and he sure as hell shouldn't be joking at a time like this."

"Nah, I reckon he's serious," Irvine pointed out as he turned his gaze to the loudspeaker overhead. "Woulda corrected himself after tha blunda if he wasn't." Tilting his head to the side, the sharpshooter almost looked contemplative as he said, "Looks like I wasn't near as far off as I thought, callin' him tha leader."

"Well then why the hell didn't Squall warn us or something?" Zell asked. "Sure, he probably couldn't _say _anything, and it's hard to read him at times, but you woulda been able to tell he was unhappy about this! I mean, the look on his face when the Headmaster put him in charge before Timber..."

"I didn't see anything to suggest he would know this was coming," Quistis mused. "Granted, I haven't seen very much of him over the last while, but I didn't get the impression at all that he would be singled out like this. He might not have known himself, though that in itself would be strange."

Rinoa nodded in full agreement. Even though she had no clue how the Garden normally handled promotions, she understood that when someone was promoted, they were pulled aside and informed of this, so that when the news hit they weren't side swiped. Usually the ones who were promoted then were the ones who were the calmest, taking the congratulations with at least some dignity intact. But she couldn't understand why the Cid would keep Squall out of the loop of such an important action.

"But we're just speculating," Quistis summed up, bringing Rinoa out of thoughts. "We don't know what's going on any more than anyone here. Unless you want to go visit the Headmaster and make your objections known, what's done is done. We'll just have to support him as much as we can."

She felt like she had just been slapped. Just _accept _the decision? Like blind little robots who followed their orders to the letter, without reservations, without consequence, outside opinions be damned? Rinoa couldn't understand how they could be so calm about this. It seemed to her that while they were sympathetic and had their reservations, they were more in regards to what Squall's own reaction would be as opposed to what they felt was right and acceptable. What about what was right for the Garden?

"Great..."

Again Rinoa was drawn from her thoughts as she looked to regard the shorter brunette. Selphie had been strangely silent after the announcement but she looked indignant, almost frustrated as she turned her attention to the loud speaker. "Just _perfect_! Absolutely fan-_fucking_-tastic! Thank you Headmaster, you bone-head! Why'd you go and do that for?!"

"Sefie?" Irvine asked. "What's wrong?"

But he went ignored, it was almost like Selphie hadn't heard him. Instead, she continued to shout, throwing her hands in the air almost in exasperation. "The one person, the absolute _one _person I managed to _convince _to join the Garden Festival Committee, and _he _goes off and gets himself promoted! Now how am I supposed to finish on time?!"

"What?!" Everyone chorused together in shock. By this point, the cheering had let up some and everyone seemed to be returning to their business. Rinoa looked behind her and saw that a group of girls were whispering to one another before throwing covert glances in their direction and Rinoa realized they had heard what had just been said.

Selphie stopped suddenly and Rinoa could see from the angle that the colour had drained from the smaller girls features. Slowly,_ very _slowly, she turned around to face them and what little colour remained washed away when she took sight of their expressions. "Oh my god, I didn't just say that aloud, did I?"

No one answered the question. No one needed to, because Selphie already seemed to know the answer. "That was s'pose to be a secret!"

She started bouncing nervously on the spot, jumping from foot to foot as the look on her face turned frantic. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my _gawd_! Squall said he'd kill me in my sleep if I told _anyone_! I am _sooo _dead!"

She stopped suddenly before bouncing forward, grabbing Quistis by the front of the shirt and pulling her forward, eliciting a startled _yelp _from the elder girl. "Or _worse_! Squall's the Commander now! Effective immediately, right?! You don't think he'd have me _fired _do you?!"

As Irvine and Zell attempted to pry the diminutive SeeD off Quistis who was attempting to gently console the girl, Rinoa stood rooted to the spot, trying to process everything that had just happened. Her thoughts turned back to the cafeteria when they had been talking about Selphie and the Garden Festival, her words echoing back at her as she realized just how wrong she had been. How could she had been around someone for so long and have been totally wrong about them from the start? It seemed like there was just so much she didn't know, and here she was making bogus assumptions based on her judging the situation at face value.

Again her thoughts jumped on her and she was back in FH, watching the others as they reunited and reminded of that small smile she had seen, a sign that he had been worried despite his attempts at not showing it and that he was relieved and even _happy _to see them all safe and sound. She was grimly reminded of her words regarding the subject, during the break they had taken in the forest just outside Galbadia Garden. She had accused him of not caring about the others, that the mission was more important.

With all those pieces coming together, Rinoa realized a startling fact. She did not truly know who Squall Leonhart really was. Maybe it was for a lack of trying. Squall had seemed so cold in Timber, following orders to a tee. She had had to _order _him to know his view on the Forest Owls and their activities, and she had been too hurt and upset to realize that in itself had been a clue. And whenever she caught a glimpse of some humanity he would revert back to the robot, blocking off all attempts at rooting deeper.

So was the real Squall the one she met in Timber, the cold and calculating SeeD who got the job done no matter the cost, or was there something deeper that he was trying to hide from everyone else?

Given the reflections and her previous assumptions up to date, Rinoa wasn't altogether sure she deserved to know.

* * *

He sat behind his desk, his hands clasped in front of him, barely hovering across from his chin in his leaned forward position. Waiting could be a horrible thing, creating imagined crawling things that writhed in ones stomach, causing ill ease and distress. That was how Cid felt at the moment as he simply waited for the inevitable to happen.

"I've disabled the locking mechanism for the elevator," Xu announced as she returned to his office – what had used to be his office. Despite his absolute certainty that he would only get in the way in the coming battle, he was still forced to remind himself that it was this life he was giving up.

The door to the office slid shut behind the Lieutenant-Commander and she strode towards his right side before selecting a wall to lean against. Her arms were folded and there was a look on her face that betrayed that she had something to say. Instead of what was on her mind, however, Xu continued with her announcement. "He should be here any minute now."

"I would be surprised if he did not come," Cid agreed before leaning back in his chair, allowing his arms to drop onto the arm rests. He let out a sigh that seemed to echo off the walls, giving him the feel that he was inside an empty museum rather than the office of a Headmaster.

The echo had barely passed before Xu seemed to decide that she should say what was on her mind. More than likely she wanted to get it out of the way before their expected guest arrived. "I still think you should have told him before the announcement."

Her tone betrayed her disapproval at the Headmaster's actions. Cid could not blame her, though he sighed all the same as she pressed on. "It would have at least been a courtesy. You told everyone else beforehand."

"_He _would have refused," Cid pointed out. He kept his eye on the door, in case he arrived quicker than they would have thought but pressed on all the same. "And that was something I couldn't take the chance of him doing. By making this announcement the way I have, it makes it official. It's now harder for him to turn away from this and I need him _specifically _to play this out."

"But why _him_?" Xu asked pointedly. It was a question she had been asking him since the very moment he had told her of his plans. It was also the one question he had not answered or provided an explanation. "Anyone else could lead the Garden. I am _not_ saying it has to be me, but there are other people far more qualified for this job, who would _kill _for it. There are people we have who are capable of handling the upcoming battle, who have proven themselves time and again. This decision can_not_ be based solely on _one _experience."

Cid turned his attention away from the door and smiled weakly into a face that was filled with confusion. "I wish we could give him more time to prepare, Xu, I really do. But we don't have the luxury of time. The Sorceress is acting _now. _In order to beat her, we must as well."

Before anymore could be said though, the door slid open and alerted the pair to their guest. He stayed seated in his chair despite the rude entrance, despite the fact that the young man who stormed inside had not stopped to salute, or followed the proper protocols of greeting a superior officer. Cid did not blame him, and was prepared to use his retirement as an excuse to let it slide. He had said 'effective immediately' after all.

"A _month_," Squall said as he entered the room. The door slid shut behind him, but the youth paid it no mind, instead stalked towards the elder man's desk and slamming his hands onto the surface. "It has only been a _month_ since I graduated and became a SeeD. So tell me exactly how you expect me to lead Garden during a _war _when I don't know what the hell I'm doing?!"

He leaned back, his arms folded across his chest as he openly glared at Cid. Normally so reserved and quiet, it was difficult on any given day to read what was going on in the youths mind. But those safe guards had just been flung away and Cid could easily see that Squall was angry, confused, maybe even a little terrified at the prospect of being in command. It was an understandable response and Cid felt a twinge of guilt at the sight before forcing it down. Now was not the time to second guess himself.

"This is a great shock to you, I know. I understand your feelings regarding the sudden promotion-"

He was cut off from saying anymore as Squall took the opportunity to jump in. "Then why the hell didn't you _tell _me what was going to happen? That _this _was your plan?! Why didn't you extend to me the _courtesy_ of allowing me to turn this promotion down?! I don't _want_ it! I would be perfectly content following orders in the field!"

"Due to the nature of the situation and the circumstances behind it," Cid said as he purposely ignored the look the Lieutenant-Commander was throwing his way. "I believed it was best to..."

"To what?" Squall cut in again. "To leave me in the dark? To have me find out at the _exact _same time as everyone else? You thought it was for the _best _to throw a wall at me and expect me to just deal with it?!"

His arms were no longer folded across his chest, instead they now sat at his sides, as though he were entirely unsure of what to do with them. "How long were you planning this? How _long _have you been planning on placing me in this position?"

It was a fair question and Cid felt that he deserved at least that. There were still things he could not say, though this was not one of them. "About as long as you've been a SeeD member. Actually, it's been longer than even that."

"So then you thought it was _for the best _to _lie _to me," Squall responded bitterly. Cid shifted at this, not knowing what to say to such an accusation. Surely he had never outright lied to him.

Squall relieved the former Headmaster of asking this question though and ploughed on through despite the elder man's questions. "Back when I went over the line and killed Master Norg? The Garden Proprietor?!"

Cid understood now what Squall had meant. "I said we would not be reporting to the Garden Council at this time-"

"But you never had _any _intention of reporting to them at all!" Squall cut in, his voice louder than it had been seconds ago, seemingly giving into the anger that fuelled those words. Cid could feel them as he sat stunned, unable to immediately give a response. He had not expected this to be brought up, that Squall would remember such a conversation. He had not been prepared and he cursed himself the fool because he _should _have been.

His hesitation stretched as he searched for the right words to explain himself. He had not openly lied to him. He had omitted facts, yes but never outright lied. But he knew that he had. If not by actually saying the words, then by omission, and that was just as bad if not worse.

Cid sighed out of frustration, though he kept it light, conservative, _controlled_. He knew he would need an ample amount of patience to get through to this young man, who was so bitter and enraged by this decision he was not willing to listen to reason. It fell on his shoulders to make him. "The circumstances are delicate..."

"No!" Squall interjected, startling the former headmaster. "No, don't you _dare _lie to me now!"

He hesitated again before letting out another sigh. "What would you have me say, Squall?"

"I want the truth," the youth answered quickly. "For once, since this whole damned thing started, I want you to tell me the truth. That you never intended to report my actions to the Garden Council! You never intended to have me take responsibility for Norg's death! Say it!"

But Cid did not want to say it, because it would mean he manipulated the circumstances, that he really was the type of person Norg had accused him of being. Preferential, biased, manipulative. All of those things and more. He knew what kind of person he was, what kind of person he had become, but he had at least wanted to shield his students from this knowledge. He did not want them to see the man who they had looked up to and respected for what he truly was. But now he found himself without a choice. He cast a sideways look at Xu, who simply stood against the wall, somewhat unnerved by the proceedings but unable to intervene. The slight clench of her jaw said she wanted to, but she understood that her place here was simply to be the observer, the witness. She could not act, not without his permission.

So it with a heavy heart that Cid nodded, giving way to the youth's demands. "Yes," he spoke quietly, almost inaudible in comparison to the shouts of the SeeD before him. "I had no intention of saying anything to the Garden Council."

The silence that fell after the admission felt thick with the tension that permeated the room and lasted far longer than Cid would have liked, but then Squall broke it when he snorted derisively, betraying the disgust he must feel for him now. "So then you were protecting me." He had stopped shouting, but the anger was still there, still as piercing as ever. Cid feared he had simply added fuel to the flame and knew he would now be forced to deal with the consequences. He nodded in response to the question, knowing it had been rhetorical, but not caring.

"You were protecting me," Squall repeated in a louder voice, his tone giving way to indignation. "_Just _like you did with Seifer. Just like you _always _did."

Suddenly feeling ashamed, Cid looked away. He knew he had given the former cadet leniency. Too much so, according to the thoughts of others. He did not need Squall to throw that in his face, especially not now of all times. Especially when this was so much bigger than himself, when so much was at stake.

"Did you have something like this planned for him?" Squall asked suddenly. "Or was _this _your plan? Am I just your backup, your second choice? If so, that makes this a lot worse than it is, doesn't it? A Garden filled with people more qualified for this job and you pick us. For what? Some sentiment of favouritism? I won't have it! I won't be tasked with a responsibility that I did not earn myself!"

He stood at attention then, the minute shifts in his expression betraying his attempts at regaining control of his emotions, of reigning them in tight behind the mask of neutrality he had perfected over the years. "Find someone else for the job."

"I will not," Cid remarked back calmly. "Because I've given the job to someone I believe can handle it."

"Then I resign."

Cid sighed again and resisted the urge to slam his head down atop of his desk. He understood Squall's reasons for being stubborn, but his timing could have been better. "You are not thinking objectively."

And you are?" Squall shot back, sounding indignant. "I'm only seventeen! What would I know of leading troops to war? Of getting them back safe and sound and assuring victory at the same time? You have _someone _else who is more than just qualified, but has been leading SeeD for years now. The Lieutenant should be the Commander, not the Lieutenant-Commander. _She _should be running this Garden in your stead. She would do a much better job at it than I could ever hope to! Instead, you choose me. Why exactly?"

"Because while I'm backed by years of field work and the experience of leading SeeD," Xu cut in, startling Squall, who had seemingly ignored the elder woman's presence up until this point. "There is one thing you have done that I have not. There's one thing that you have that I probably won't ever get."

"She's right," Cid said before Squall could say anything. He was grateful that, despite her own reservations, she was at least standing behind him in this endeavour. She trusted him and his judgement over the years and it looked like that trust was not waning in the slightest. "You do have something she does not, Squall. _Xu _has not once been in combat against the Sorceress."

Squall paled at the implication of this statement but Cid pressed on, taking advantage of his sudden pause. "I cannot say for certain whether she would survive the exchange either. But you have fought her. And you have lived to talk about it. Very few people, even including those outside of Garden, can say the same. People see that, they know this. While it is not a feat so easily boasted, they know it can be done. And now knowing exactly what the Garden has been training SeeD to do, who better than the person who survived the confrontation to lead them into this war?"

"Why didn't you let me give my report?"

Cid started at the unexpected question, wondering where it came from and what relevance it had now. "Pardon?"

"My report from Deling City," Squall pressed, sounding as though he were holding back. "The failed assassination attempt on the Sorceress' life. You would have known this was a stupid idea if you had heard my report!"

"Why would I have thought that?"

"Because it didn't happen the way you're thinking it did," Squall suddenly exclaimed, almost aggressively. "I didn't survive some glorified battle against the Sorceress. I didn't survive just by some sheer will power, or a strength you seem to think I have. I survived on a _whim_! _Hers_! I was _dying _on the street and she _chose_ to let me live because she _thought _I would have knowledge that she could take advantage of! If she had wanted me dead, we would _not _be having this debate! She wanted to know what SeeD was and I didn't have the answers she wanted. I didn't know we were trained to defeat Sorceresses, I just knew what everyone knew and I would have been killed if the others hadn't escaped first!"

He was shouting again, and Cid could see clearly the agony the youth felt at reliving that day. The outrage, the anger, the desperation, all of it was there, and it was further fuelled by what he himself was asking of him.

"You're making me out like I'm some sort of ... legendary figure, but I'm not! I'm not even seen as a _threat _to the Sorceress, otherwise I would be dead already! I almost _did _die! My _team _could have died!"

"But you are _not _dead," Cid interjected, seeing his chance and seizing it. "You are _here, _alive and well. It is not just knowing that you fought the Sorceress and lived, Squall. It is knowing that you are the only one here who knows how she fights, the power she wields and the firsthand experience that comes with that battle. Even _one _battle can determine the end result, and the fact that you have seen her fight gives us an advantage. It is not just about winning in order to save your live or to secure the mission, but it is about learning how to combat the opponent by utilizing what you have learned from them. We learn more from our defeats than we do from our victories, it is something I have been saying in all of my time as Headmaster. You have given us an opportunity to procure victory from a seemingly inevitable defeat."

"You're still giving me far too much credit," Squall said quietly after a tense moment of silence filled the air. "I don't know anything, anything more than what everyone else knows already. She utilizes real magic, not para-magic. Anyone who's picked up a text book could have told you this. And once everyone knows the truth of what happened, that's not going to raise morale, it's going to tank it. We _will _lose this war, sir. If you keep insisting that I take over command, then I can guarantee our defeat. Making the Lieutenant the Commander is a better tactical strategy, and one I would recommend highly."

"The Garden will fall _only _if you allow it to," Cid countered easily. "You sell yourself far too short, sir_."_

Squall started at the sudden title but Cid pressed on, not allowing him an opportunity to argue. "I admit that your recent service in past missions did not bring about the desired results, but it is your actions throughout that speak on your behalf. You persevered regardless of the circumstances that you were afforded. I have already spoken to the members of your team. Selphie Tilmitt was debriefed before you and I learned all about your escape from the desert prison following the mission in Deling. I learned of your hand in the averted Missile Crisis from Xu herself, as well as the situation that took place in Fisherman's Horizon. If it had not been for your actions in any of these situations, Garden would not be standing today. The Sorceress would have already won. If I were to ask the rest of your team, I would be surprised if any of them disagreed."

Cid leaned forward, fixing the youth with a serious look. "Did you honestly believe I hadn't put any thought behind my decision? I told you, I've been expecting to give you this position for some time now. Granted, it is a lot sooner than I would have liked, but you have already proven yourself to be a capable leader. Experience is a desirable trait in a leader, but none of that matters if the people who follow you do not respect you. I made the announcement..." Cid trailed off to check the time, "nearly fifteen minutes ago. If anyone else were going to object, they would have already done so. Such delicate matters cannot afford to be pushed off to the side, of this I believe everyone is aware. So why would the students and SeeD here not beat a path to my door expressing outrage at this decision? It is because they respect you. It is because they know the importance of their role in the war, and they know that I have made the right choice.

"Your team respects you. I could see it the day I saw you off before you left for Timber. I saw it when you returned to the Garden to warn of the Missiles from Galbadia. I saw it in Operative Tilmitt when she gave her report, and a glowing report on your hand in her objective. Even Xu has praised your ability to think under pressure and to judge the situation as it is, _another _trait required in a leadership role. And Xu is not an easy woman to impress."

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers linked as he rested his hands atop his stomach. "You believe that all will be lost with you in charge. _I _believe the opposite is true. All will be lost _without _you."

"_Nothing _about those situations was extraordinary," Squall countered. "I just did what I had to do."

"But that's just it, Squall," Cid said gently. "Fighting the Sorceress is something that _has to be done, _regardless of anyone's position, or feelings, in the matter. Any other person may have wished to stay uninvolved, like Norg had planned. But you know the dangers of allowing the Sorceress to continue on as she has. You _understand _that we have to stop her before she launches her plans into action. Before she can find Ellone and utilize her to whatever means she may have planned.

Squall's gaze had settled to the floor, his arms resting at his sides, hands balled into fists, looking all the more like he wanted to argue and argue the point until he was blue in the face. Cid would not allow him to do so. "I know that you feel under-qualified for this task. Normally, I would agree that more time in the field is necessary before taking this step. Unfortunately we cannot afford to spare such time. That is why Xu is here. She will serve as your Second-in-Command and will guide you through the decisions you aren't quite sure of with her knowledge and experience. The entire administrative staff knows that their task is to give their support should you have need for it. I would never have pushed this position on you without a means of support should there be a need for it, Squall. It would have been foolish of all of us to expect you to do all of this when you are uncertain of what to do. Whether you like it or not, it is your _destiny_ to fight the Sorceress, no matter how powerful she may appear to be."

"Don't..."

Cid stopped suddenly, the interruption not unexpected but still surprising all the same. He waited silently for the younger man to say his piece. "Don't talk about this like it was decided before I was even born."

The former Headmaster sighed lightly, not from frustration or annoyance, but as a father would before reassuring his child. "I apologize," he said quietly. "I don't believe anyone ever knows what is meant for us when we enter this world. It was wrong of me to make such an assumption. But Squall, we need _you _to lead SeeD into battle. Of course, I would never delude myself into believe that there is no one else I could have chosen. But would they be capable of doing the job? I cannot say with absolute certainty that they would. If anything, those who are the most deserving of power seldom wish to ever use it. They may not even want it to begin with. Men have become addicted power before, so much so that they cannot stand a future without it. Think of President Deling, or even Norg. But it is because you are so reluctant, moreover the reasons that cause your reluctance, that I feel you are suitable. It is those reservations that will allow you to keep a level head in the end, to make the decisions that will serve us best in this endeavour."

Squall sighed heavily, as though he were letting out all the air from his lungs with that one action. Cid finally saw the signs of progress through that one seemingly insignificant action. The fight had flown out of the young man and he watched as the hands that were clenched so tightly seconds before released that tension, resting at his side. The action had nothing to do with the Sorceress or the threat she brought along in her wake. Cid had gotten his point across, had proven why things had to be the way they were. Squall finally understood.

"Alright," he said, speaking quietly. If the room had been filled with noise it would have been impossible to hear him, but as the silence was thick it was the same as if he were speaking normally. "I'll do it. I'll... lead the Garden to fight the Sorceress." For a second, he looked as if he wanted to say more but instead chose not to, swallowing his words and allowing it all to sink in.

Cid couldn't have been prouder. He had accepted, but it wasn't just because of this. There was still an uncertainty in his gaze, in his very stance, that told he was still reluctant. He was not taking up the post because he wanted to do it, because he thought he was the only one who could. He was doing it because he knew it had to be done.

And although he smiled reassuringly in response to the young man's decision, Cid could not help but wish there was another way.

* * *

_Changes!_

_Honestly, this chapter was pretty difficult to start. Simply put, this was a rather tame start in comparison to a lot of the previous chapters. But just writing about the group hanging out together was fun in its own way (once it got started). _

_The scene in the classroom about the Garden Festival was something I debated upon adding. On the one hand, it's fairly pointless and just a retelling of the prologues of this part of the novel. On the other hand, it serves as foreshadowing to one of the biggest pieces that connect the dots of the plot. I originally wanted to go through other Timber Maniacs issues, but that would have dragged the scene on needlessly long. Furthermore, Selphie blabbing out her little secret was something I had planned for a while now, and it's purpose was to further cement the knowledge of the illusion that Squall has played out for everyone._

_The announcement of SeeD's next mission was done this way because this is the way I had always thought it should have been conducted; after a small period of time where preparations had already begun to take place. I also had the Headmaster step down, because his sudden disappearance beyond this point was never properly explained. He just suddenly left and no one questioned it. Well, no one except the player at least. I also don't believe that Squall and Nida would have been the only ones promoted, so I added a whole list of people, mostly un-named characters._

_And finally, the talk between Cid and Squall in his office. Again that exchange was planned from the beginning, but the only thing that didn't quite make this final cut was an idea I had had earlier on. I had wanted the conversation to commense around a game of Triple Triad, but in the end it didn't quite work out. Don't worry though; the game will make an appearance. After all, it's one of the more addictive parts of Final Fantasy 8 (if you take the time to learn how to play the game anyway)._

* * *

**06/01/2012 - **_Oh my god! I turned this chapter into a MONSTER by adding another 6k words to it! I'm so sorry this thing is so huge (30 pages in word)! I'm so sorry, I had to tackle this chapter and change a bit of things that I had written already. It was so awkward reading through this thing before that I actually had to walk away and do something else before I came back to it (which explains why it took so damn long to work though it, sorry for that too). I added Rinoa's indignation at everyone seemingly accepting Cid's decision just because that was my reaction once I understood what the hell had happened. I also twisted and changed the confrontation between Squall and Cid, because honestly that was the worst part of the chapter I had to read through. It seemed so awkward to read and imagine the characters saying so instead I ended up re-writing it and saying some of the things aloud to make sure they made sense (and now everyone at home thinks I'm going crazy. The things I do for you guys lol). _

_Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll try not to take as long with the others. I guess this makes this chapter the longest one I have ever written. Again, sorry about that._


	38. Chapter XXXVI: A Reason to Celebrate

**Edited: **_07/14/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXVI:  
A Reason to Celebrate**

* * *

It had been a day since Cid had made his announcement, and the actions that took place as a result seemed to lend strength to his words. The people who had received their new job statuses were being moved around. If they weren't already set up in the living quarters of the second floor then they were packing their things in order to move. The ones who already did and received an elevation were being moved to a room that reflected those changes.

It seemed that while no one had an issue with the prospect of selected people elevating their status' within the Garden, almost everyone was upset at Cid's intention of retiring. Many of those people had set out to demand why but had come back without explanation. Rinoa assumed that it was the handiwork of Xu, particularly because her name would always be the one to come up whenever they were asked about their failed attempt.

But Rinoa had decided for the meantime she would leave the elder man alone. There was plenty of things to do to prepare for their departure from FH, and the only thing she would accomplish with her questions would be to distract everyone else from their tasks. Besides, Cid was already under enough stress as it was and she didn't want to add to it. The man was making preparations that would ensure the death of his wife, the Sorceress. That was a hard enough pill to swallow without listening to an outsider complain.

This didn't mean she had gotten over her indignation at his decision. It just meant she was compassionate and considerate of the situation. She would complain when it felt appropriate.

She still couldn't help feeling sorry for Squall either. Granted, they still had yet to speak to one another since their shouting match in the hallway but it didn't mean she didn't care. He had only just joined SeeD and now he was expected to be the run to run operations and to lead the charge against the Sorceress. Couldn't Cid have thought of someone more suited for the job, like Xu? How was Squall supposed to pick up where the Headmaster had left off anyway? How could anyone expect him to?

She was still thinking about it even as she walked to her destination, the click-click of her heeled sandals tapping against the metal of the train tracks that served as roads. Despite her thoughts, Rinoa could not help but marvel at the drastic transformation FH had undergone in the last few short days. Where pot holes and debris had littered the entire area after the Galbadian Forces had invaded were now only slight kinks that signified that such an attack had ever taken place. Buildings that had chunks of plaster and metal blown off looked almost as good as new. It seemed almost cosmetic, the way the place looked now. The scars of battle covered up over layers and layers of foundation that would uphold the citizen's peaceful values. And yet Rinoa knew that the citizens themselves would remember the horror of the invasion. No matter how hard they tried to cover it up and forget, no matter how quickly they managed to do so, the memory would always be with them.

A gentle breeze was the constant of the day despite the muggy temperatures and it caused her white sundress to flow, the flower embroidering seemingly dancing among the element. Once again Rinoa was forced to bring her free hand up to secure the wide-brimmed cotton hat she wore on her head. Her hair was left down as she hadn't been able to style it in a fashion that she liked. As she continued along the way, she heard the squawk of seagulls as they flew about in flocks, in search of leftover food by the docks. The inner city itself was spotless of the garbage and litter Rinoa was used to seeing in the streets of Timber and Deling, so she had never actually seen the creatures in town since the Garden's jarring arrival.

Inspecting the paper that held the directions to her next destination, Rinoa consulted the hand-drawn map as she wondered how Selphie had found the time to find the damned place let alone draw the map for it. After Cid's announcement, the bubbly girl had remained steadfast in working on the Garden Festival, regardless that her lone cohort could no longer assist. It still floored her to even think that Squall of all people would join. She was about to assume he must have been bored one day but thought against it, knowing that her previous track record of assuming what went on in that guy's head was spotty at best. She checked the silver watch she had purchased the other day and continued on course.

A few minutes later, she reached the place she was looking for and stepped inside through the swinging doors that reminded her of the saloons from the old tacky westerns that had been the General's guilty pleasure. Rinoa didn't understand why they were meeting at the restaurant at all, if it could even be called such a place. It reminded her more of a fast food joint, though the only things missing were those garish looking plastic booths and a bar at the back where they were supposed to line up and take their order. Littered around the place where booths and tables that looked nice enough, and Rinoa even spotted people in uniform taking customer's orders.

Okay, so maybe not exactly fast food, but definitely more downscale than what she had been to in the past. Still she could adjust, and had done so since running away to Timber.

The place itself had a rustic feel, with walls that looked like they were made of wood rather than stone, and light fixtures that were dim instead of bright, producing a welcome glow rather than the blaring white lights of the Garden. There was a door at the back that seemed to lead outside onto the patio and the floor was bereft of carpet. Instead the floor gleamed with a glossy cherry finish that gave the place just a touch of class.

Apparently she was only the third person to arrive and she spotted Quistis and Zell at a booth on the far left hand side of the place propped up beside a window with a view of the solar dish that surrounded the mayor's home. You couldn't see Dobe's place from where they were now, and with the light reflecting off the panels it gave the illusion of a swimming pool from this distance. The view made up for them not spending the day out in the sun and she sat down beside Zell, who had scooted closer to the window to allow her some room.

Despite how nice this placed look Zell was customarily dressed down. He looked remarkably out of place in a grey sports t-shirt and a pair of jeans that looked like they'd been cut up from the knees. He was even wearing his sneakers, the red and black having faded some, giving them a worn and weathered look. They had looked brand new when she'd first spotted them, and guessed that they might have become his favourite. Quistis, on the other hand, looked like she had taken forever to get ready and looked as immaculate as she had ever seen her. The white blouse she wore was simple, as was the purple jacket she wore to match, but the whole outfit would have been more than enough to enter a fancy business party. Her hair was twisted up into its familiar fishtail bun, and the pair of cherry rimmed glasses that sat atop her nose completed the look of sophistication.

Rinoa decided that if she needed to dress up anytime soon, she would most definitely be asking the elder girl for tips.

"So," Rinoa said once she'd made herself comfortable. "Any idea why we've been called here?"

"Not a clue, I'm afraid," Quistis said with a shake of the head. Zell shrugged in response. "Obviously they're not here yet."

"But they're on their way," Zell said as he held up his cell phone – decorated with a cover that was black and red. "Selphie called a couple minutes ago. Said she was running late and to go ahead and order without 'em."

Rinoa picked up the menu that sat in front of her and, upon looking at the selection, wrinkled her nose in minor distaste. Most of it were fish dishes. Honestly, she shouldn't have been surprised by this. In a town populated by fisherman, what else was going to be the main delicacy? Still, it wasn't her absolute favourite thing to eat all the time.

"_I'm _having the calamari," Zell declared proudly. He was looking over her shoulder to check out the menu. "Definitely _the_ cream of the crop."

"But I thought you were a picky eater," Rinoa remarked in surprise, knowing full well that calamari was actually squid.

"Well, yeah... but I was also raised in Balamb," Zell answered with a shrug. "Grew up on all kinds'a fishy stuff. That and beef."

"I can't _possibly _understand how you manage to stay so fit and yet you won't eat _anything _that has even remote contact with vegetables," Quistis said with a sigh.

"Hey, if it's green, it _can't _be good for you."

"So what'd you order, Quisty?" Rinoa asked.

"The Fish Fillet and a side salad," Quistis responded easily. Then her expression changed to one of sympathy. "You don't much care for fish, do you?"

Rinoa mentally cursed, wondering how obvious she had been. "It's not that I don't like them, or that I won't eat them. I just like other food better. There was this one time when I was a kid and the General was hosting parties as the mansion. I tried caviar thinking it was some kind of jelly. Boy was _that _ever a mistake."

She cringed just thinking about it but after taking another second to scan the menu, she closed it before putting it back down on the table. "I'll get a plate of calamari and some of the shrimp pasta."

"Awesome!" Zell pumped a fist in the air. "A convert!"

"You sold me, Zell," Rinoa said with a shrug. "If you like them and you're so picky, then they're worth a try. You should go into sales."

A server came by about a minute later and, after ordering food and drinks, the trio started talking amongst themselves. Nothing major, mostly small things, like when they has spoken the last time in the cafeteria. Zell whined a couple of times about having to wait for Selphie and Irvine to show, but the wait wasn't that long at all. By the time their food and drinks arrived, the duo entered the restaurant and came right over when they waved to show where they were sitting.

"_Nice _spot!" Selphie complimented as she plopped down beside Quistis. The elder girl scooted closer to the window to allow the smaller girl some room even as Irvine was liberating a chair from a nearby table and bringing it up to join the others. "It gives us the _best _view of the whole restaurant. But there's a patio outside. Why are we wasting the day in here?"

Rinoa giggled, the question familiar as she had thought the same. She was prepared to take back her earlier thoughts of Zell and his dressed down clothing when she took a look at Selphie, who looked downright sloppy in a pair of faded blue jean-overalls and a bright yellow tank top. Her hair, normally done in a bob, was tied back by a bandana that was wrapped around her head. It was purple and decorated with yellow Chocobos in varying positions, stances and expressions. Irvine looked a bit more casual than usual and no longer looked like an overdressed cowboy without his trench coat. He wore a nice plain t-shirt and a pair of brown jeans. She didn't understand how he'd managed to keep his cowboy hat safe though, given that he had been wearing a Galbadian uniform when they first saw him again but decided that she probably didn't want to know. Nevertheless he wore it proudly, though he mercifully removed it once he was seated at their table.

"_Oooh_!" Selphie squealed slightly before leaning forward and inspecting Zell's plate. "I didn't know this place made onion rings! You shoulda told me, Irvine! I've had a craving for, like, a whole _week_!"

And before the brawler could stop her, Selphie grabbed a piece of calamari off of Zell's plate and plopped it into her mouth. But her chewing slowed slightly as a confused look formed in her features and Rinoa thought that the elder girl had realized her mistake. To her credit, she finished the mouthful and swallowed before speaking. "Eh, not the best I've ever had. Way too chewy for my tastes. I'll just order them extra crispy."

Rinoa exchanged looks with Zell, who looked just as surprised as she felt, but the thought passed as she took in Irvine who was watching Selphie with a big fat knowing grin on his face. Something told her that the sharpshooter was not about to correct the diminutive SeeD but instead would sit and watch and continue to smile all the same. Her suspicions were confirmed when she noticed the minute shake of the head in their direction and, when Selphie turned away so that she wasn't looking at him, he pressed an index finger to his lips, indicating silence.

But Selphie seemed less interested in the big secret that was being kept from her and instead liberated the menu that Rinoa had kept after placing her order. Within seconds the small girl was leafing through its contents and humming lightly, ignoring Quistis as she cleared her throat at the improper table etiquette.

"So what took you guys so long," Zell said at great length, leaning forward as he did.

"Oh, nothing _too _important," Selphie hummed.

"Just addin' sum finishin' touches ta tha plan is all," Irvine answered coyly, looking over Selphie's shoulder to read the menu. He made some kind of comment about one of the items of choice and Selphie made a _hmm_ sound that seemed to suggest she might consider it.

"Right, about that..." Quistis piped up. "What exactly _is _the plan, anyway?"

Selphie said nothing to this. In fact, the only indication she gave that she had even heard the question was the the curious look she threw the former instructor over the top of the menu. Quistis wasn't amused and sighed in irritation. "Oh, you _know _what we're talking about. You two were the ones who said it was important to meet up and to keep it secret. Well, we're here now, so I'd say now's about the right time to let us in on the big plan."

"Reckon we should at least eat first," Irvine drawled thoughtfully.

"Nah," Selphie dismissed with a wave. "As much fun as it'd be to watch 'em squirm, we don't have much time to waste joking around. We don't even know how long it's gonna take to get the Garden up and running, and there's gotta be enough time to practice to make everything work properly!"

"Practice?" Rinoa echoed.

Selphie grinned widely as she slapped the menu into Irvine's chest, who gave a soft _oomph _that suggested the small girl had knocked the wind out of him. He recovered quickly enough and began to properly leaf through the contents as Selphie continued to speak. "You see, Garden needs a break, what with all the craziness over the last little while. Can't say I know exactly what's been going on but let's face it: the Garden setting sail and _flying _across the ocean? That's gonna turn some heads."

"_Floating_," Zell corrected, but Selphie ignored him.

"Not to mention the psycho Sorceress who's out burning down towns and overall being evil. I say we could use a break, but really what exactly can we do when we're marooned at FH, right? The higher ups are busy wearing their thinking caps and worrying about our next move, but again we can't do anything until the repairs are done..."

"You're speaking in circles," Quistis pointed out. "What exactly are you getting at?"

Selphie's grin widened at the question, almost as though it was the very question she'd been waiting to be asked. "Well... I _am _the Garden Festival Committee Chair..."

Zell went to groan but Rinoa kicked him under the table, turning it into a wince instead. Both of them went ignored.

"... Which is a title I got from my past experience at Trabia Garden," Selphie finished.

"But you only got that title because the last chair left Garden," Zell pointed out. Again Rinoa kicked him, this time fixing him with a look that told him pointedly to shut up.

"Oh, semantics," Selphie waved off, not bothered by the slight. "As a really popular leader once said, _whatever__!_"

Rinoa snorted, unable to hold it back. No one seemed to mind, because Quistis was smiling into her salad and Irvine let out a chuckle. It seemed there was no need to ask exactly who it was Selphie was quoting.

The smaller girl didn't even take any stock in the slight interruption or the effect of her words because she just ploughed on with her explanation. "Okay, so obviously I'm _still _the new girl in Garden, but when I was still in Trabia, there was a whole bunch of us who got together and were planning on performing a concert. A celebration... kinda..."

"And you're thinking of holding one here?" Zell asked. Selphie nodded once and the brawler grinned. "Awe_some_! People could use that kinda distraction!"

"_Exactly_!" Selphie chirped. "So I've already talked to the Mayor and the Headmaster. I even got the Lieutenant-Commander on board, and I was _sure _she'd think it was a waste of time. Everyone's agreed to let us do the concert, but the only catch is we don't exactly have a date. I'm thinking two weeks, but I don't even know if we're still gonna be here then. Once the higher-ups have hammered down the details, we'll make a fixed date. I looked around to see if I could gather some talent and it turns out the locals are all for a concert. Apparently lots of 'em play instruments when they're not fishing. Kinda like a hobby."

Rinoa was grinning a grin that probably split the bottom half of her face but she didn't care. Selphie was excited about this plan and it was contagious. The elder girl was most definitely right about everyone needing a distraction, she sure as hell needed one. Looking around the table, she knew she was not alone in her thoughts. Zell was into the idea and even Quistis looked amused by it. "So where's it being held?"

"In the one place in FH where we can fit everyone!" Selphie answered. "The Mayor said that's around his house, and the stage is already being built as we speak. It should be done in a couple of days tops, and then everyone's gonna take turns practising."

"So are we helping organize this?" Quistis asked. "Is this why you've called us here?"

"Nuh-uh!" Selphie said before giggling suddenly. Irvine was smirking behind the menu he was holding. The diminutive SeeD then leaned forward, looking left from right, almost as though she were looking out for eavesdroppers. "_We're _gonna perform too!"

And then she leaned back into her seat and fell into a mad giggling spree, hands pressed against the bottom half of her face like a child. Rinoa laughed too, because it was the most unexpected thing to come up this conversation. Beside her, Zell looked amused at the thought, but her smile dropped when she looked across back across the table.

Quistis stood ramrod straight, her hand positioned over her salad even as the fork had slid from her fingers. Her eyes were wide behind her glasses, and a look of terror filled her expression. "You're joking... right? _Please _tell me you're joking."

Selphie shook her head no, hands still clasped over her mouth. This had the effect of increasing the horrified expression and she shook her head, folded her arms and leaned back against her chair. "Nope. Sorry, _not _going to happen. Not in this lifetime, _nor _the next."

"Why not?" Irvine asked, taking notice for the first time.

"Because..." Quistis bit her lip anxiously before seemingly forcing herself to press on. "Because I've no musical aptitude. It's the only thing in my life that I've been absolutely rubbish at. I'll sound _horrible_. Probably ruin the whole show while I'm at it."

Rinoa couldn't help but grin at the turn of events despite how Quistis seemed to blush in embarrassed horror at her confession. Unlike the former instructor, music was something Rinoa thrived at. Having a mother who not only sang but played the piano tended to have that effect and she remembered learning how to play while she had been alive. Even after she'd died, her love of music had not waned in the slightest, and it was one of the only things the General had given to her that she'd truly cared about. She'd taken lessons for the flute, the viola, the violin and the clarinet as a young girl, and took up dance in addition to it all. Of course it had simply been ballet and waltzes – the General's request – and she was extremely proficient in it.

But this was not the only reason she was smiling. Up until this moment there had been a small part of her that felt inferior to the other SeeDs, Quistis in particular. The girl was only eighteen and already she was accomplished at her job. She was smart, had an exceptional memory, and could use abilities that came in handy, even if some of them _did _come from monsters. She even had her own fan club from what Zell had told her and though they came across as obsessive and almost stalkerish, the thought that people admired you for what you've done was a remarkable thing. And here, she had one thing that she could do that the elder SeeD could not. It was just too much of a temptation to pass up.

"Really?" Rinoa grinned before she leaned back in her seat. "_This _I have _got _to see."

But almost immediately after the words passed her lips, she regretted them. The nervousness that crept up on the elder girl looked foreign to her eyes, and the sight of the usually stoic and collected Quistis reduced to an unsure teenager dropped her down a peg. Rinoa had the good grace to look down into her hands, but before she could take back the words, Selphie cut her off. When she turned to face the smaller girl, she was surprised to find her own guilt mirrored in the other girl's expression. "Um... about that Rinny... I'm sorry, but... um... well... you're _not _performing with us. It was never in the plan for you to perform on stage."

As Rinoa's stomach plummeted as the words and their import hit her, she felt the smile wipe itself from her face. She was hurt, felt the hurt from the sudden announcement, the tightening of her throat making it hard for her to swallow. If she wasn't being included in the concert, then why did Selphie and Irvine invite her to this lunch? To gloat and to boast about how much fun they were going to have and then turn around and tell her she wasn't invited to play? It wasn't fair and it definitely was not something a friend would do.

She stopped herself then and there and wondered for the first time since this whole thing had begun when she'd started calling these people her friends. Most of them were contracted, one of them was an addon and the last joined up with them for a common mission. Maybe it was only her. Maybe, as the civilian, she drew ties with these people as a means of coping with the situation. Maybe this was their way of telling her how wrong she was about it all.

The she shook herself of the thought, deciding that she was being selfish and just making assumptions. Selphie had seemed almost hesitant to tell her that she was being excluded. If this had been her plan all along, she would've just ploughed on ahead with the correction, instead of just trying not to step on toes or hurt feelings. Maybe this was just a SeeD thing, but that thought stung worse, because it was based on something she could not control.

"So you're leaving me out..." She said, playing with her fingers under the table. She closed her eyes, if only to hold the tears at bay. "I guess I kind of understand..."

"She could take my place," Quistis jumped in suddenly. Rinoa risked opening her eyes and saw that the elder girl was sincere in her offer. Whether it was because she wanted Rinoa to be involved or was so deathly afraid of performing herself, she wasn't sure. It could have been a combination of the two, but regardless Rinoa found she was grateful for it. "In fact, I _insist__. _Rinoa's the only one of us who has a musical background, her mother was a singer after all..."

"It's a SeeD thing, isn't it?" Rinoa interrupted. Then she shook her head. "No, forget it. It doesn't really matter if it is or not, right? If I'm not performing, then I guess that's that."

"Oh Rinny, _please _don't be like that!" Selphie piped up, looking almost as heartbroken as Rinoa felt. "We wouldn't _dream _of excluding you! It's just that I've got this super special job planned for you and you couldn't do it if you were on stage playing instruments with the rest of us!"

Rinoa's head shot up at the explanation. She didn't know whether or not she liked the sound of that. She did feel relief at knowing she wasn't being excluded out of spite, which made her feel better. "Special job?"

"Uh-huh!" Selphie said, bobbing her head up and down and reminding Rinoa of a child again. "It's a job only _you _can do. No one else would _ever _in a million, _ba-zillion _years get it done. It _has _to be you!"

"Selphie, there's no such number as a _ba-zillion_,"Quistis pointed out dully.

"Sure there is!" Selphie argued. "I just made it up right now!" And to add emphasis to the statement she stuck her tongue out at the girl beside her. Quistis just rolled her eyes in response and returned her attention to her salad while everyone else laughed at the display.

"Okay, okay," Rinoa said through her laugh, her throat no longer tight. "You've convinced me. So what's this _special _job that no one but me could get done in a _ba-zillion _years?"

"I'll tell ya later. Promise," Selphie assured before winking. Rinoa wanted to press for details but decided that maybe it would be better to drag it out of the girl later. She was right after all, they had very little time to prepare for the concert as it was, and this meeting would be better spent hammering down the details.

"So, just laying it out now but I call dibs on the guitar," Zell said before standing up in his seat and mimicking playing the instrument. "I so _totally _rule on it! Naturally, I've gotta!"

"Zell, playing 'Guitar Hero 15' on the Game Sphere doesn't count. Even _I _could tell you that much," Quistis retorted as she rolled her eyes. Zell rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before looking around, realizing he was standing up in the middle of the restaurant and slunk back down into his chair in embarrassed silence. He didn't even argue the point with Quistis.

"Besides, _I'm _playing the guitar," Selphie pointed out. "While the Game Sphere is nice, I'd say having had years of experience playing the real thing trumps that and – not to toot my own horn – but I most definitely rock. But that's irrelevant. There's more I want to tell you guys about the plan before we start working on the details."

She leaned forward again, which prompted everyone else to mirror the action. This time, instead of looking like a little kid who was dying to reveal some huge secret, she was more sombre, more serious. That in itself gave Rinoa the incentive to pay attention. "So I mentioned before that this concert was sort of a way of distracting everyone from what's happened lately, but it's much more than that. It's to thank the people from FH for putting up with us. I mean, it can't be easy. They've probably got their own opinions about us since they uphold peace and pacifism and we fight battles for Gil."

"That's really nice of you," Rinoa said.

"More than they deserve," Zell muttered. Rinoa jabbed him in the side with her elbow and ignored the glare he shot back at her.

"But it's also _not _just for them either," Selphie continued. "FH and the rest of SeeD are important reasons for this, but they're not the most important. It's more or less a thank you concert, dedicated to one person in particular."

"Who?"

Selphie fixed Zell with an exasperated look before liberating another 'onion ring' from his plate. Almost reproachfully, Zell pulled his plate closer to him, bringing his arm up to rest almost protectively around it even as the other girl finished chewing. "To Squall, who else?"

Rinoa arched an eyebrow, unsure of what the other girl was getting at and apparently no one else but Irvine could see how the three reasons linked together. Selphie sighed as though she'd just lost hope in each and every one of them before explaining herself. "Let's face it. Without Squall there to pull our asses out of the fire, we probably wouldn't be sitting here right now, right? Sure, we helped along the way, but he stepped up when we couldn't. He was willing to face down a Sorceress head to head. _By himself! _Granted, it didn't turn out the way we all wanted it to, but at least he tried. Can anyone else here say they woulda done the same in his place? I know I couldn't. I'd be too busy freaking out."

Rinoa couldn't help but agree, and this brought her thoughts back to that night, when she'd been preparing to trap the Sorceress one minute, only to have strange monster lunging at her the next. She'd been so terrified she'd been unable to fight back. If Squall and Irvine hadn't come for her when they had... she didn't even want to think about it. She had been prepared the trap the Sorceress on her own, but to actually fight her was something entirely different. She didn't think she'd have been up for the challenge, yet Squall had been prepared to fight her alone, so much so that he'd ordered Irvine to retreat and to take her with him.

Then there was the escape from the prison and the Missile crisis. There had been other determining factors, but she didn't know what would have happened at the Garden if he had not been there. This made her realize he'd done quite a bit for the war already, even without meaning to. Of course he deserved a huge thank you for his efforts.

"Not only is it a thank you," Selphie continued as everyone else around the table seemed to draw the same conclusions. "But it's to congratulate him on his promotion, even as unexpected as it was. Of course everyone's gonna be doing their own thing, so I was thinking about playing two sets. The first one can be a short and simple one – something that everyone can play easily. But I wanted one of them to be something Squall might enjoy. But... I've only ever been around him on missions, so I don't know what his taste in music is like, or even if he takes stock in that sort of thing. Well... okay, so we worked together briefly on the Festival, but we didn't play any music or anything..."

"And that's where my expertise draws a line," Irvine said, speaking up for the first time in a little while. "Haven't been around tha guy long enough ta know."

"I've got nothing either," Rinoa said with the shake of her head. Like Irvine, she hadn't known Squall for very long either.

"I was just his instructor," Quistis responded with a shrug and a sigh. "He was very private about... well... anything in regards to himself personally." She looked thoughtful for a moment before pointing at Zell with her fork. "Zell, you were both room-mates, right? I think I remember hearing something from your dorm at one point. What would you call that racket?"

"Wait, _what_?" Rinoa exclaimed as she turned on the brawler. Zell had had an indignant look on his face as he had been about to answer the former instructor, only he had been interrupted from doing so.

"Stop the presses!" Selphie practically jumped up onto the table as she got into the brawler's face, almost disturbing the glasses filled with beverages and causing plates to clatter across the table. "You two were _room-mates_? Why was this not ever mentioned? When was this? _How _did this happen? How are you both still alive? Details, details, details! Enquiring minds want to _know_!"

"Wait a minute!" Zell said, hands raised in defence. "Take it easy, one question at a time!"

Rinoa fell back against her seat, arms folded expectantly as she awaited the explanation. Selphie, while having shut up, did not move from her position on the table. Quistis sighed loudly as she looked around the restaurant and said, "Selphie, we can't exactly _eat _if you're in the way."

"Oh... sorry..." Selphie removed herself from atop the table and resumed her place beside Quistis. Even when she was settled though she fixed the brawler with a look that read 'spill or I will mercilessly stalk you for the answers'.

Zell took the hint and started without any verbal prompting. "Yes Quistis, Squall and I were room-mates but that was a while ago. But it was only for a year. And that 'racket' was Heavy Metal, and I _still _enjoy listening to it, thank you very much."

"You were Metal Heads?" Selphie asked in surprise, but she didn't allow the brawler a chance to answer. "Never would have guessed it."

Rinoa never would have either. If she were to just judge his musical tastes based on his clothes, specifically the jacket he always wore, she might have guessed pop or even glam rock. She giggled at the thought, knowing that the fur trim around the collar alone was enough to scream 'diva' or 'drama queen'.

"No way," Zell said before Selphie could interrupt him again. "_He_ called it noise too. Used to complain about it whenever I put it on and we'd argue about it since we shared the space. I remember one time we were both studying for exams and I turned it on because I can't concentrate when there's no background noise. He stood it for maybe two minutes before grabbing my stereo and chucking it out the window."

"Squall did that?" Rinoa asked as Selphie covered her mouth in shock. There had really only been one time where she'd seen Squall really lose it, but she hadn't expected it to have happened over something so trivial.

"Yeah, it really pissed me off," Zell answered. "I'd just gotten it for my birthday and everything too, so I got up, punched him in the back of the head and yelled at him to go get it. I guess he'd been in a bad mood or something 'cuz he turned around and decked me one. Then fists were flying and... not much studying got done after that."

Selphie howled with laughter while Quistis shook her head, no doubt imagining the fight that had broken out after the fact. Rinoa couldn't help but giggle as she played it out in her head, cartoonish cloud with fists and feet poking out at intervals as they tore apart their room in the act. Zell, who seemed to be looking back at the memory, was even grinning, though his cheeks were stained pink in a show of his embarrassment.

"Yeah, never reckoned tha guy inta that head-banger crap," Irvine replied, ignoring the indignant look Zell threw in his direction. "Actually, I always pictured him Emo, or sumthan' moody like that."

"Irvine!" Selphie abonished indignantly. "Squall is _not _an Emo!" She stopped for a minute, her look betraying her uncertainty before she redirected her gaze to Zell. "Is he?"

To everyone's surprise, Zell shrugged. "Like I said, we were only roommates for a year, and in all that time I don't even remember him turning on the radio. Not even sure it's something he's even interested in to be honest. If anything was on at all, he didn't have much control over it."

"Oh, I see..." Selphie said suddenly, surprisingly not disheartened by Zell's confession. "So even his musical tastes happens to be a mystery." Clapping her hands together, she leaned back in her chair and rested the back of her head against them. "I'm up for a challenge, how about you guys?"

"What are you talking about now?" Quistis asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, for the dedication to work the way I want it to, we need a specific song for Squall, right?" Everyone needed in unison. "And to get one, we need to know what he listens to. And since the guy's soooo tight-lipped about it, we're gonna have to take matters into our own hands. So someone's gonna hafta sneak into his room..." She moved one of her hands so that it hovered over the tape and made a walking motion with her middle and index fingers serving as legs. "And search through his CDs to find at least a clue."

"Or we could, you know, _ask _him," Zell said pointedly.

"Zell Dincht, if you were his roommate for a whole year and _you _don't know, what makes you think he'll tell us if we ask him?"

Zell opened his mouth to respond, looked thoughtful and then closed it without saying a word. Selphie nodded in approval. "So then the only way to find out is to sneak in and look for ourselves."

Rinoa couldn't disagree that this might be the only way to find their answer, but she did not like the way Selphie's gaze kept darting in her direction the more they talked about it. "This wouldn't happen to be the 'special' job you've got in mind for me, would it?"

"Nuh-uh," Selphie answered.

"Good, because we'd have a pretty big problem if it was," Rinoa said with a sigh in relief before eating her pasta.

"Why's that?" Irvine asked. "Ya'll seemed tight enough before we split ways in Galbadia."

"Yeah well, that was different," Rinoa replied defensively once she'd swallowed. "Back then we were on speaking terms."

"What happened?" Quistis asked, sounding somewhat surprised. Selphie's features dropped at the admission and she even had Irvine's attention.

Rinoa hesitated, not entirely sure how she could answer. It wasn't that she was embarrassed by what had taken place, but it was the circumstances that had caused the blow up that caused her to pause. She wasn't sure exactly how much she could say about it, especially when Xu had tracked her down and made her swear not to mention anything about Norg until they could get everything sorted out.

Almost like she could read minds, a look of understanding flitted across Quistis' features and she nodded slightly. "Ah, this wouldn't have anything to do with Norg, would it?"

Zell's jaw practically hit the table at the question before he pointed at the former instructor in his shock. "How'd you know about that?"

Selphie and Irvine exchanged glances but otherwise went ignored as Quistis answered. "I went upstairs for a visit with Xu when we got back but overheard her speaking with the Headmaster. They said something about Norg dying and that Squall had had something to do about it. It didn't take much to put two and two together."

"Wait, you were eavesdropping?" Rinoa asked in shock.

Quistis coloured lightly and cleared her throat almost indignantly. "I _wasn't _eavesdropping. I just happened to come across the office when they were discussing the matter and they happened to not notice me right away."

"Uh huh," Zell said, sounding unconvinced. "And when they eventually noticed you standing outside the office and asked you about it...?"

"Actually they didn't," Quistis announced. "And neither did I."

Rinoa nodded back. "Okay, so eavesdropping then."

Quistis scowled, but there wasn't a lot of bite to the look. Before the elder woman could continue to defend herself though, Selphie pipped up. "Um... so what happened to Norg and why was Squall involved? And who was Norg anyway?"

Zell was quick to answer now that the cat was out of the bag so to speak, explaining how Norg was the Garden Proprietor and that it was his hand that had resulted in their continued stay at the prison. As the explanation continued from Norg's death up until the shouting match in front of the hallway, Rinoa felt her cheeks heating up at how petty and childish it sounded.

"So is that all?" Selphie asked with a shrug. "Then why don't you just apologize?"

Feeling indignant at the remark, Rinoa bristled as her earlier embarrassment went forgotten. "Why do _I _have to be the one to apologize? He was just as wrong as _I _was!"

"Because he's a guy."

All eyes flew to the diminutive SeeD at this flippant response, shocked at how nonchalant she was and how easily the answer had come. "Face it, Rin, guys aren't willing to admit they're wrong, especially when it comes to an argument. Well, most guys at least. Some are smart enough to know when to concede defeat. Though that's only if they even get that they've done something wrong to start with, but that's a whole other topic."

"Wow," Zell hummed indignantly. "Sexist much?"

"Nah, she's right," Irvine admitted with a wave. "At least part o' tha time that's true. But there're times where tha gal's off her rocker and over reacts. I learned real quick ta apologize and get it over with."

"Exactly what I mean," Selphie said as she gestured at Irvine. "But again, not all guys are smart, so they just keep out of the line of fire and wait for the girl to cool off. That's probably what Squall's doing, giving you your space. _He _probably realizes he was acting dumb too, but doesn't want to cause anymore trouble and you do kinda have a temper, Rinny. All I'm saying is that if you want this to be water under the bridge – and I know you do, I can tell – then in this case, you need to be the bigger person and make the first move. Especially since this _is _Squall we're talking about."

Selphie reached forward and grabbed one of the glasses of water that had been sitting in the centre of the table before taking a sip. "Then again, he'd probably just wave it off and say 'whatever' if you brought it up though."

"That would be the Squall thing to do," Quistis agreed. "Getting back on subject though, if we want to use Selphie's idea as a song dedication, we might just have to resort to this. Not that I'm condoning unauthorized access to the Commander's living quarters or anything, but it's very unlikely he'll tell us anything."

Before the conversation could progress, a young man approached them from the direction of the kitchen. He wore the same uniform as the servers and his name badge identified himself as Craig. But Rinoa thought it was strange when he stopped at their table, since a red-headed girl named Alexa had been the one to take their orders initially.

"Hey guys, sorry to leave you all alone for so long," Craig said. "I just wanted to let you know that Alexa had an emergency and had to leave. I'll be taking over as your server. I'm Craig by the way," he indicated his name badge before spotting Selphie and Irvine and grinning at them, noticing the empty spots in front of them. "Have you two decided what you're going to have?"

"I want a plate of onion rings!" Selphie proclaimed enthusiastically. "But I want them extra crispy. Those ones are a bit too chewy," she indicated the plate in front of Zell as both he and Rinoa exchanged uneasy glances. Quistis arched an eyebrow but shrugged simply and went back to eating.

"But we don't serve onion rings," Craig said, looking confused.

"So then what do you call those?" Selphie asked, indicating Zell's plate.

"Calamari. And they're _supposed _to be a little chewy."

"Oh..." Selphie said, looking thoughtfully at the plate before making her decision. "Then I'll have a _small _plate of them. But... could you make them a little crispier than normal?"

As Selphie had stared intently at Zell's plate, Rinoa couldn't help but notice Irvine and Craig exchange looks, with the former indicating that the latter should remain quiet on the subject. A discrete nod from the server confirmed her suspicions. "Sure thing," he said, indicating Selphie before turning back to Irvine. "And what'll you have?"

"The shrimp pasta," Irvine answered casually.

As the server left them to their conversation, Zell leaned over and kept his voice low so that only Rinoa could hear. "So... how long do you think it'll take Selphie to realize she's eating squid?"

Rinoa could only shrug in response.

* * *

The best way to describe the skill-hands of fisherman's horizon was to call them machines. They weren't of course, but the tenacity and ferocity of which they worked was most definitely not human. Where a large chunk of plaster had been missing it would be filled within the hour, barely resembling the destruction it had been initially. Many of the wounds the Garden had sustained during the crash were like this, barely resembling scars by the time the skill-hands had started work on them. Of course there was still far more work to be done before the Garden could actually be up and operational but it was almost like the crash had been a dream in itself.

Just looking at it, they would think the crash had happened more than just four days ago.

It had been a day since they had met up and discussed the plans regarding the concert and already the stage was completed and everyone was ready to start their practices. From the sounds of it, the skill-hands had assessed the damages and decreed two weeks as their best estimate before the repairs were completed, giving them some time to at least perfect the craft. Selphie had given Quistis a crash course in the instrument she would be using for the concert and when she wasn't helping the elder girl practice, she took Rinoa aside and had explained to her in detail what her part of the operation would be. The only snag of course was that she had yet to speak to the young Commander and, for now, Rinoa's assignment was to rectify the situation.

But by mid-afternoon Quistis came back from her break to report spotting Squall heading past the second floor, no doubt to begin his duties as Commander. In the last few days, the staff had been attempting to work out their next destination but as there wasn't much to be done until they could leave FH anyway accommodations were being made for the promoted officials who were required the change. Sadly, that involved Squall and since they couldn't exactly search his room while he was present, they had been forced to wait until he was finished.

This knowledge had the effect of cancelling the remainder of their practice as the quintet met in the cafeteria to discuss the details of their plan. After a while they came up with a reasonable time-frame to sneak into the Commander's dorm without being caught, and the plan was set for early the next morning. But when it came down to picking who would go, they had hit a snag. Quistis had already volunteered to help out in the infirmary with Dr. Kadowaki for the next couple of days and Irvine already had a prior engagement he could not ignore in FH (he actually denied that it had anything to do with a girl, though no one truly believed him). Rinoa flat out refused to do so, despite having once broken into his room before in the hopes of getting a tour around the Garden. Her argument had been surprisingly sound; if she was to patch things up with the Commander then breaking and entering would be seen as counter-productive, particularly if she got caught.

So this left Zell (who had not been fast enough to come up with an excuse) and Selphie (who had _graciously _said she would do it despite already being in hot water with the Commander) as the B and E team, forcing the pair to go to bed early in order to take advantage of the window.

They were right to do so. At an imposing four in the morning, the pair had staked out the halls and found the Commander leaving shortly arrival. Once he'd turned the corner that led to the elevator, they made their way for the door, silently hoping that nothing that prompted a revisit of the surveillance footage gathered by the security camera's happened that day.

Having already figured out how Rinoa had managed to break into Squall's room the first time, Selphie held up the compact powder disk she borrowed from Quistis and swabbed a light coat over the keypad. Using the small brush that came with it, she wiped away the coating and groaned loudly as she showed Zell her findings. There were twelve buttons along the keypad, but eight of them were marked with fingerprints. So much for narrowing down their options.

But they had actually come out ahead. After their second attempt, the door to the room slid open and allowed them access. Quickly, the pair darted inside, closing the door behind them to avoid being spotted. Grinning from ear to ear at their success, Zell and Selphie both ventured further inside, but one look beyond the front door was enough to leave their jaws hanging open.

While the immediate space they had entered wasn't very big, it was a look to the left that betrayed the size difference between their own single dorms. Along a wall that seemed to curve towards the right, there was a break in the wall that was actually a door leading to a separate room. Next to the door closer to the front was another door that was presumably the closet. Aside from this, the rest of the place was exposed as the wall shifted again, leading to another square-shaped space. Against the wall was a desk and a chair and opposite it was a bookshelf but otherwise the whole place was bare.

From the looks of it, Squall hadn't bothered to try to decorate. The walls were the same dull white of every dorm, bereft of even a single photograph, and the carpet matched the one out in the hall. When they turned on the light, the domed fixture in the centre bathed the room in white radiance. The shape was obviously chosen to provide more illumination to a large radius.

"I am _insanely _jealous," Selphie muttered darkly beside Zell even as she looked around to get a better look.

Zell couldn't help but agree as he took in the sight, recalling his own dorm, which seemed more like a closet in comparison. It barely had enough room to hold everything he had brought from home, let alone the requisitioned bed, desk and bookshelf that had come with it. Here there could at least be a television _and _a sofa.

But he shook himself of such things because he knew they didn't have a lot of time to work with. "So... where do you wanna start?"

Selphie snapped out of her fuming at the question before blinking once and humming thoughtfully. The question had been, in part, sarcastic, since there wasn't very much to start searching through in the front room. There were only a couple of things he could see in the bookshelf, and he was damned if there was anything of interest in the drawers of the desk. More than likely, it'd be in the bedroom, but Zell was hesitant to step over that barrier because Squall was a very private person and he'd kill them both if he ever learned they were even here _without _his permission. It was all the scarier, now that he was their boss and the thought did nothing to rid him of his anxiety.

Selphie seemed to feel the same way because she moved across the room and reached the desk. "I'll look over here first. You tackle the bookshelf, then we'll search the bedroom if we don't find anything."

It barely took three minutes to search through Squall's meagre belongings. There wasn't much in the bookshelf at all, like he had originally assumed, save for a couple of battle series magazines and weapon's monthly's. Selphie didn't have much luck at all, because the desk was totally bare of anything. There wasn't even a crumpled piece of paper for show. With nothing to search through, both SeeDs turned their attention to the bedroom.

It took maybe five minutes before either of them felt brave enough to take that first step across the threshold, and that was after they mustered the courage to even open the door. But as they ventured inside, they found that, like the rest of the apartment, the room was almost bare. There was a double-sized bed at the far corner of the room beside windows that were hidden behind shut blinds. Opposite that there was a door that led to, presumably, a closet. A dresser and cabinet sat along the same wall as the door. Like everywhere else, the walls were white, the carpet grey, and the blankets standard issue from Garden.

"Someone's _gotta _help him fill this place up," Zell muttered under his breath. All this empty space was just creepy, like he'd walked into a haunted house or something. But if this was all Squall had of his possessions after years of living in the Garden, the brawler was sure it was going to take an entire lifetime to make this place seem like home.

Without another word, the pair resumed their search, splitting up the room without seemingly meaning to. Selphie dove into the closet as Zell tackled the cabinet and dresser. He didn't see a stereo anywhere near here, but he thought maybe Squall had sectioned off something to conceal it. The only thing he found were clothes and had slammed shut the drawer to his former-roommate's underwear drawer to forcefully that it had elicited a squeak of shock from the diminutive girl. Ignoring her, Zell continued his search along the cabinet, making a mental note to steer clear of that drawer.

When he opened the cabinet Zell hadn't been sure what to expect inside, but there was only one article of clothing hanging off a hook. It was covered in plastic, which led the brawler to believe it was brand new and, from a better look, he realized it was the uniform he'd received after graduating. But upon closer inspection, Zell realized that the ensign was different. Yellow on black, it had three solid vertical stripes with a star following after it. His ensign was different and that led him to believe that this was an indication that the uniform belonged to someone of a higher rank than his own.

He turned his attention away from the uniform and searched the rest of the cabinet, only to find that it was otherwise empty. He closed the doors shut and began to search the drawers beneath, but they had yet to be filled.

With a sigh, Zell turned towards Selphie and was in the process of asking her if she'd been more successful when he choked on the question in alarm at the sight he was greeted with. "_Selphie_!"

The diminutive girl looked up and gave a startled _squeak _at the sound of her name, but it wasn't the sight of her particularly that had set the brawler on edge. It was the articles of clothing that lay around her like an ocean around an island, all rumbled and dishevelled and in lumpy piles. It was a horrible sight because Squall was normally a neat person. Not one who went out of their way to get rid of every little spec of filth in the room, but someone who was normally very tidy. Selphie was apparently the opposite and had actually thrown a pair of pants that had originally been hanging in the closet behind her without a backwards glance, the article of clothing landing haphazardly on the bed.

She shot up to her feet almost instantly, hands clutching a box she must have just found at the bottom of the closet. "Did you find them?"

"No, and I doubt anyone'll find either of us if Squall comes back and finds his room _ransacked_!" Zell exclaimed in panic.

Selphie looked like she wanted to argue, but she as she glanced around the room, the words died on her lips and she turned back around, grinning guiltily, almost sheepishly. Zell sighed in frustration as he threw her a pointed glare as he crossed the space between them and grabbed her by the arm before dragging her away from the closet.

"So how do you expect us to find what we're looking for if we can't move stuff around?" Selphie asked indignantly.

"Moving stuff around and tossing them all over the place are two different things," Zell said before Selphie managed to wrestle her arm free. "_I'll _clean this up."

"Then what am _I_ supposed to do?"

Zell looked around as he contemplated the question before spotting the box that she had found. He picked it up and handed it to her, causing the girl to make an _oomph_ sound as she cradled it to her chest. "Look through that, okay just... don't make a mess."

"Sure thing, _mom_!" Selphie said. He didn't need to turn around to know she'd stuck her tongue out at him.

Zell ignored her and instead he sunk to his knees and picked up a couple of pieces of clothing. He sighed heavily as he wondered how he was going to put them all back to the way it was supposed to be without it being obvious that they had been moved. A quick intake of breath behind him disturbed the slight shuffle of movement, but he paid no attention to it, instead focusing on cleaning up the mess. But he discovered that he was unable to ignore the excited tone in Selphie's voice as she called him over to see what she'd found. With another sigh, Zell turned around, only to wince as he saw the contents of the box upended right on Squall's bed.

But it was what had been in the box itself that drew his attention. They were thin square boxes that closed on only three sides, allowing whatever was inside to slide out of the open slot. Each of these boxes had strange pictures and words scrawled across the surface in weird font. It didn't take very long for Zell to recognize them, and his suspicions were confirmed as Selphie removed a big, thin black disc from inside one of those boxes.

She seemed to recognize them from sight, because as soon as she saw it, she dropped the item back atop the bed, giving them both a good view of the thing. After a few seconds of examining the object further, both Selphie and Zell exchanged a comical look and spoke their thoughts aloud at the same time. "Squall listens to _Vinyl_?"

Of course there was no answer to their question. No one else was in the room with them. Selphie picked up the discarded record – Zell noticed she handled it with the most care of anything else she'd touched since they started their search – before putting it back into its box and picking up another to inspect.

"That's... _ancient_..." Zell said, finding himself at a loss of words.

"That's _awesome_!" Selphie exclaimed as she looked between the label she held in her hands and the one that lay on the bed. "Do you realize how _rare _these things are? They're practically _extinct_!"

Zell started that the explanation. He'd known they were old, but he hadn't known there were so few of them left. "Wait, then that means they've gotta be worth some serious cash, right?" Selphie nodded in response and Zell whistled. "_Shit... _where the hell'd he get the money to pay for 'em?"

"Well I don't know about Balamb, but in Trabia everyone got a spending allowance," Selphie explained. "Since it was too far to commute from town to the Garden every day, we were s'pose to use it for our needs, like books and clothes, and food. We were always encouraged to use what was left wisely, I guess they were trying to teach us how to micro-manage finances, but yeah."

"Sounds about right," Zell mused, knowing that many of the students who lived in the dorms got an allowance. Commuting from town every day made him ineligible for the program – his Ma had looked it up before he'd been enrolled.

"Yeah, so he either used that to pay for it all, or he's got a charge card somewhere that's hurtin' something awful," Selphie finished with a shrug.

"Guess he didn't like regular CD players," Zell mused thoughtfully. CD's were much more common and easily obtainable than the ancient vinyls that Squall seemed to favour. Less expensive too. But then he stopped, and inspected the vinyl discs as he realized something important. "Wait, if he's got _these_, then he'd need something to play it on, right?"

"Unless he just likes lookin' at them all day," Selphie agreed with a shrug. "But we've looked all over the place! He'd need a record player to play them, and they're practically _impossible _to miss."

"We didn't actually finish looking in his closet," Zell pointed out. "And that's where we found the box. Maybe it's stashed in there?"

But aside from whatever clothes that remained on their hangers, the only thing they found as the searched through the space was another two boxes, both filled with more of the vinyl records. So far there wasn't anything they could use to play them.

"Okay, then maybe he's just an avid collector," Zell said hopefully.

"Doesn't make sense that he would collect something _just _to look at them," Selphie pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Zell said miserably. He had been trying to cheer himself up, knowing that if they didn't have something to play the records on, then they had failed the very reason they were there in the first place. Still he looked around if only because it was something to do. But then his eyes fell back on the bed and he betrayed a hopeful grin. "Hey Self..."

The diminutive SeeD looked up at the mention of her name and caught the look on his face as the brawler continued. "You don't think he'd hide it under the bed... do you?"

Selphie took a look at the bed before shaking her head and folding her arms. "Huh-uh. I draw the line at looking under people's beds."

"Why not?" Zell asked in surprise. "It's just a bed."

"Alright, let me rephrase," Selphie said stubbornly. "I draw the line at looking under _male _people's beds."

At the blank look he gave her, Selphie shook her head in a no-nonsense way. "Do you know how _disgusting _it is under a guy's bed? The things you can find under there?"

"Like what?" Zell asked as he thought about the space beneath his own bed in his dorm, and even back in Balamb Town. Both were the cleanest places in the room and he had no clue what her problem was.

"Gum wrappers, spoiled food, dirty clothes," Selphie said as she ticked her fingers, going down the list. "Condoms, porn..."

"Selphie, you _do _realize that this is Squall we're talking about," Zell pointed out. "Look at the rest of this place? He hasn't even been here for a week and you think you're gonna find all that crap in here? And even if he'd been here longer, you think he's the kinda guy who leaves food to stink up the place under the bed? I've _never _seen him chew gum before in the time I've known him and the dirty clothes is where the laundry bin in the closet comes in, isn't it?"

Selphie fixed him a pointed look of her own as she tilted her head to the side. "And the porn?"

"It's Squall, right?"

"And Squall's a guy," Selphie countered. "I mean, _think _about it for a sec. The guy is sooo private. But what if we find something we totally didn't expect under there, like... like some really hard-core porn! We'd obviously have to look at it to see just how hard core, that's just the kind of people we are, and _then _what? We'd _never _be able to look at him the same way again, and then he'd _know _we went snooping in his room. I'm already on his shit list for blabbing about the Garden Festival. He'd kill me _three _times over if he found out about _this_!"

Zell rolled his eyes in aggravation, knowing that arguing was not getting them anywhere. "Alright, alright, I _get _it. _I'll _take a look."

He dropped onto his stomach beside the bed before pushing himself forward until only his feet were sticking out. The first thing he did when he took in the sight, he grinned and gave off a mental cheer. It was bare, with no sign of anything that Selphie had listed. He had known she was being paranoid. But as he shifted he knocked his arm against something to the left and cursed lightly from the impact. Thinking he'd hit the back of the headboard, Zell turned in the direction only to make out another box. He could tell from the dull throb that stretched up his elbow that it was full, not hollow, but it wasn't the same weight that the boxes with the records had had.

Thinking he might be onto something, Zell grabbed a hold of the box and started to pull, grunting as he realized it was heavier than he'd originally assumed. He continued to grunt and strain in his awkward position and eventually he managed to pull it out bit by bit. Light footfalls from behind told him that Selphie had jumped down to get a better look. Zell didn't know what he'd expected to see but it most definitely not the simple looking black suitcase. The brawler frowned, wondering why Squall would keep this thing hidden, especially with something inside.

He looked over the object and noticed something strange about it after a minute. On either side of it were thin foamy things that were open, exposed. It reminded Zell of a speaker, and as soon as he made the connection he had a moment of inspiration.

"Open it," Selphie said excitedly, sounding like she'd drawn the same conclusion.

Zell did as told and hoisted the lid up, revealing the contents. A deep red board rested along the top half of what should have been the interior of the suitcase, but on this board was an old turntable. To the right of it was a needle propped into a resting position along a bar in the centre of the box, and further to the right were a couple of knobs. When he looked closer, Zell realized that one of those knobs were supposed to control the speed and the other was the volume control.

"So why's he got this bulky thing under his bed?" Selphie asked curiously.

Zell shrugged. "Maybe he's just paranoid. Thinks someone might break in and take his stuff." But he wasn't so much interested in that as he was interested in inspecting the device. He whistled as he realized it was practically in mint condition, with no bumps, scrapes or any signs of wear and use. It's owner had given it the utmost care, and in retrospect it didn't come as a surprise. How often had he seen Squall almost compulsively and obsessively clean the gunblade during their mission? "Now _this _must've cost him a fortune."

"And how," Selphie agreed before indicating the record player. "Hey! There's a vinyl on it. _Perfect_!"

Zell looked at her blankly but didn't need to say anything to get Selphie to explain. "One of the things I learned about in Trabia was that you can learn more about someone's personality by whatever music they listen to. It's even more true when it's something that's already set up in a stereo, or cued up to a song. We're looking for a song to play for Squall right? If he was listening to something recently then it should be easy to figure out what his favourite one is. We just play the record and pick the one we think he'd like the best."

"Or..." Zell said, having picked up on what the smaller SeeD was trying to say. But instead of fiddling with the controls and playing the record, he liberated the object from the turntable and held it gingerly in his hands.

"What're you doing?" Selphie asked, looking puzzled.

"It'd take too long to just play the whole record," Zell explained. "And if we sit around here doing that, chances are Squall'll come back and catch us in the act. Not exactly something to wish for, right? CD players have automated sensors in them that can pick up a song where it was last left off. Unfortunately record players are too old and don't have that technology."

"So... how exactly do we find out which song to play?"

"It's actually easier than you'd think. It just takes a little bit of patience and you have to know _exactly _what you're looking for... ah-ha! You see that?"

Zell held the record up so that Selphie could better examine it and pointed at a specific spot that looked like a minor indentation. "Unlike CD's, vinyls are very _very _fragile."

"Yeah, I already knew that," Selphie said almost indignantly. "It doesn't take much to break one. I found that out by accident when I was twelve. My instructor was not a happy camper when he found it."

"So this indentation was caused by the needle of the player," Zell continued, trying to keep on topic. "The needle wears down at the top layer of the record, causing this small and almost unnoticeable slope in it. It becomes even more noticeable if one track is played more than the rest of the record itself."

"Really?" Selphie asked, sounding awestruck. "I never knew that could happen. Okay, so we know which spot it is. How can we tell which song it is?"

"We play it, obviously," Zell answered simply. "But at least this way we're not hunting through the entire record for just one song."

Gently, he returned the record back to its place on top of the turntable, placed the needle right where the small grove started and turned it on.

Again the brawler didn't know what to expect to start playing, but the melody came out slow. The vocalist was male, and he wasn't so much singing as he was doing a mix of singing and speaking the lyrics. The sound quality was great and sounded like they were sitting next to the performer, sounding nothing at all like when Zell would listen to his stereo. It was unlike anything that the brawler was used to listening to, but it had a soothing almost calming feel to it. It wasn't bad, just not his taste. Beside him, Selphie was bobbing her head up and down in time with the beat. It didn't last long, maybe three minutes tops and when it came to an end Selphie actually applauded regardless that this wasn't a concert or live performance.

"It sounds like something that'd be okay to play, don't you think?" Selphie asked.

Zell nodded in agreement as he went about turning off the turntable and moving the needle back into its place. "Yeah, but we'd have to find the song somehow. You got the name of the artist?"

"_And _the song's title," Selphie said as she held up an empty record box.

"Awesome, looks like our work here is done," Zell said, relieved that they could move on. "So first we gotta clean up this place, put the record player back under the bed and tell the others about it. Then, we find the song, play it for everyone to enforce our choice..."

"Get the sheet music for every instrument," Selphie added helpfully.

"And practice until the night of the concert," Zell summed up. He couldn't help but feel optimistic about the whole thing and he couldn't wait to see the look on Squall's face when they played it for him at the concert. "Piece o' cake!"

* * *

_So yeah, Squall's old school. Never really thought of him as a 'main street' kind of guy._

_Now before I get objections and such about each and every character's musical taste, the choices I made are based on my impression of each character. Zell has always struck me as the kind of guy who listens to punk or heavy metal music whereas Squall was more of an old school rocker. I know that other people have tried to interpret their musical tastes, but this is just what I got based off their characters. I personally don't like a lot of Squall's music (I'm too young :P) and I haven't been exposed to a lot of heavy metal - mostly soft metal for me - so it's definitely not biased or anything._

_The description of Squall's new room (appartment?) was actually based off a friend's former appartment. The only difference is that where the wall and closet are, there was a hall that led to another (larger) bedroom. I'd always liked the way the entrance to the (1st) bedroom was on a slant, so I opted to do it this way. And the reason why the appartment is smaller than what most fanfiction author's portray it as is because Balamb Garden is small and it's supposed to accomadate a lot of other people, so I figured space would probably be an issue. Besides, SeeDs are trained to be able to survive with the bare necessities, so it doesn't make much sense to give him a suite like room. Squall would probably hate it anyway._

_The scene with the battered squid came from a story my mom told me when I was younger. Apparently my aunt convinced my mom to try the calimari but didn't tell her what it was until after she'd finished eating. It just seemed like something that would happen to Selphie._


	39. Chapter XXXVII: Opening the Door

**Edited: **_07/14/10_

* * *

******Chapter XXXVII:****  
********Opening the Door**

* * *

The mission was a success and once the pair had returned with the information they had gathered, it was okay to let out the breath they were holding. But in the spirit of self preservation, it had been unanimously decided that Zell and Selphie should steer clear the Commander, at least for the next little while. This left Quistis and Irvine the task of feeling him out, deciding whether or not he was suspicious of the events that had transpired. Fortunately, it appeared he was none the wiser, though it could have been for a number of reasons. Foremost in everyone's minds was that he was simply distracted with the duties that came with his leadership role to notice anything amiss. With this thought in mind, everyone was breathing much easier.

Now that the hard part was taking care of, the quartet faced the next step. Their main focus now was perfecting their assigned instruments and learning the notes to the sets they would be performing. But there was another momentary delay when Selphie had a fit after finding the sheet music for their second performance. She had assured everyone that it sounded easy enough to play, but when Irvine had found her in the library she was busy cursing a fit, most of it directed to the Commander and his taste in music in general, staring in horror at the complicated looking scales for the guitar. Irvine had laughed at her expense until she had handed him the bass guitar set – the instrument had had volunteered for. He'd stopped laughing at that point.

But as the pair were not ones to dwell on the negative, their pity party barely lasted half a day. They decided that all they could do was practice and get the notes down as much as they could before their performance. In the end, they saw it as a challenge since both were competent with their chosen instruments. It would give them something to sweat about in comparison to the song Selphie had chosen them to play first. It was an improvisation to something she had heard back in Trabia and she'd already replicated the sheet music and mastered the playing of it anyway. From what the others had seen of it, it was straight forward and simple to play. Needless to say, most of their time was spent perfecting the second song.

Because she had thought they would be simple and easy to play, Selphie had assigned Quistis to the drums. She had also assumed that she might have an easier time of learning them since she was a master at multitasking. But the former instructor proved how inept she was in the act of music, because she still had a hard time grasping the timing and the beat. She had been okay when she'd first been introduced to the concept of the three drums, but when the cymbals were introduced it threw off her timing. With the introduction to the base drum, where she had to use the step peddle, her sense of rhythm was shot and it didn't look good for their performing.

After a light comment from Zell, Selphie was hit with inspiration and abandoned their practice, giving everyone strict instructions to continue as they were and that she'd be right back. When she returned after two hours, she was equipped with an assortment of markers and shooed Quistis off the drums as she set to work. She outlined the rim of each of the four drum with a specific colour marker before attaching a bit of paper at the top of the cymbals. When asked about it, Selphie explained that since Quistis had a wicked memory, it might be easier for her to get the timing down if she memorized the equipment via colour and had set to work marking the music with the matching colour. By the end of their practice, Quistis had become considerably better.

Since it was the only instrument they had left, Zell had been handed a microphone with the threat of pain upon pain if he made the audience's ears bleed because he didn't practice and screamed out the lyrics like the guys in his songs. The brawler took the threat to heart and even he wasn't too bad as the days passed by. After about a week, they actually sounded like a decent and coordinated band. Not exactly professional but they could at least play without being booed off the stage. With only a few days left before the concert, they stepped up their practices and worked on memorizing the sheet music instead of relying on it. When there was only one day left, everyone had decided they had done enough and, rather than stress over the music, they opted to spend the rest of the time resting before their performance.

Rinoa had been present at each and every one of their practices and had witnessed the growth of this amateur band. At their growth, she felt an insurmountable amount of pressure slowly being added to her shoulders as the date of the concert drew closer. She knew what she was supposed to and couldn't for the life of her come up with a means of getting it done. She blamed her pride for the lack of productivity on her part, but unfortunately, the time for stalling and procrastination was over. Pride would just have to take a backseat because she would be damned if the whole thing fell apart after everyone had worked so hard to get as far as they had.

So the following morning, Rinoa made it a point to get up early despite every instinct to ignore the alarm and sleep until the afternoon. Getting dressed, she left the Garden and walked into town, knowing that some much needed preparation was at hand.

* * *

He was _not _looking forward to tomorrow.

In fact he was dreading its arrival, knowing that tomorrow would be when the Garden would be leaving Fisherman's Horizon. Knowing that the Headmaster would be staying behind and thus leaving him ultimately in charge of the Garden. It made him sick to his stomach just thinking about it, knowing that suddenly everyone would be depending on him to make the decisions, to draw up the battle plans they would be following, and pretty much everything else that being the Commander encompassed.

He'd never wanted it. He'd never wanted the responsibility or the power. He had never signed up to be the leader everyone looked up to. All he'd wanted was to obtain his SeeDship and while he hadn't known what he would do after the fact he knew it sure as hell didn't involve leading the troops to war against a powerful nation in the clutches of a Sorceress.

It had been these thoughts that had plagued Squall for the last two weeks as he ran through his mind again and again the words that had made him decide that the Headmaster was right. It made things worse as he thought back to the previous missions he had been in charge off, all ending in failure. As bad as the mission in Deling had been, it was the Forest Owls that easily drew his attention, because his lack of cooperation with the misfit resistance had eventually led up to the whole thing being dissolved. How the hell could anyone put that person in charge of a whole fleet when cooperation was key?

Two weeks on the job and already he was tired and drained. A lot of it was politics, mostly of the inter-office kind as they met and talked in circles about their next objective. Once the repairs were finished they would leave for Balamb to collect the SeeDs who had been left behind during the missile crisis, but what then? The whole administration seemed to have their own opinions on the matter, some wanting to head to Dollet and garner their assistance in the upcoming war. Others wanted to find Ellone before the Sorceress did, only to learn what it was that made her important enough to steer Edea's focus.

Unfortunately no one had been able to come to a decisive conclusion. _Unfortunately _this meant that the final say fell on Squall's uneasy shoulders.

Sixteen hundred hours was when the meeting had been adjourned for the night. It had eventually been decided that they would focus on their own numbers before they decided further. It was a stall tactic, one that Squall was loathe to depend on but it worked and got the others to shut up long enough for him to escape and convene. He would decide once he knew what numbers he was working with, plus this would give him enough time to figure out which direction was best.

He needed an outlet, but unfortunately work left him drained of all energy thus forcing him to bypass the Training Centre and instead retire to his dorm with only thoughts of sleep on his mind.

Quickly, he showered and changed into his sleep clothes before falling face first into the mattress, the soft substance conforming to his form and giving little resistance. His intention was to just sleep the night away, hoping that morning never came and he cleared his mind with the intent of making this an easier journey. But then he heard a faint _tap _that caused his eyes to snap open. He lifted his head, waiting for any sign or cause of the sound to make itself apparent. Nothing happened.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Squall lay back down and closed his eyes, exhaling lightly. Now his imagination was running wild, making him hear things that weren't actually there. Perfect trait for the person who was supposedly the only one to lead them all to victory. Maybe the Headmaster was right to retire, because the thought that he could win this war was most definitely an indication that the elder man was going senile.

But then the sound happened again and Squall groaned before forcing himself to sit up and climb out of bed. This time he was convinced that he was not imagining things. The sound was not far enough away that it could have been someone trying to get in next door, which had to mean he had a visitor. With a scowl he stalked to the front door, wondering why the hell he couldn't be left alone for just one night and, after rubbing his face in a feeble attempt to wake himself up, he opened the door to tell Xu or anyone else where they could cram it but stopped short when he saw that it wasn't who he expected to see standing at his door.

Rinoa was standing out in the hall, her hands behind her back with a sheepish almost embarrassed look on her face, eyes never straying too far from the floor. Despite the plain look of the dress she wore, she looked like she was about to head out for something important, almost formal. Her hair – normally left down – had been done up in a braid that rounded onto her shoulders, with the shorter strands of her hair – the ones with the blonde streaks – framing her face.

Squall sighed in annoyance once he got over his shock, not at all interested in knowing why she was dressed up. Neither one had spoken to the other properly since their shouting match a few days ago. Even during the mission in FH they had only been civil because of the threat to the town, but if she had come here to make a scene, he wasn't up for it. Not tonight, not when he was so tired he could drop. "If you're here to start something, save it for later. It's been a long day and I _don't _have the patience for it."

And he would have finished it off by letting the door close in her face had she not reacted so fast and stepped in the way of the sensor. "No, it's got nothing to do with that."

Squall arched an eyebrow, not believing her. She paused for a moment before continuing. "Okay, it's _sort _of got to do with that. But I'm not here to pick a fight."

He stopped short of turning away, surprised by her sudden act of civility and, with a frustrated sigh, he waited for her to get to the point so he could crawl back into bed and forget the world existed. Rinoa took a deep breath and coloured again as she spoke, still managing to avoid eye contact. "Okay, so I know we can't change what happened to Norg, but I can admit that I was acting... _childishly... _when I started yelling at you out in the hallway. I'm _not _going to apologize for what I said, but I will apologize for the performance and the way I said it. It could have been handled in a much better way, and I understand that now."

Rinoa sighed awkwardly as her face broke out into an even brighter red but then she forced herself to look away from her shoes to raise her head to look at him instead. After a second's hesitation she extended her hand out to him and spoke again. "I know that we can't just pretend that it never happened. It'd be stupid for me to expect you to do it when I can't. But can we at least put aside our differences for a little while? It might even make life easier for everyone else."

To be honest, Squall hadn't actually been bothered by her outburst. He had had time to reflect on what she'd said and she'd been absolutely right to say it. But it was her constantly acting like a spoiled child who hadn't gotten their way for once in their life that had caused him to steer clear for the meantime. On top of everything else that had happened he didn't need that headache. Maybe he had just been waiting for her to cool down, he couldn't explain it himself, but to see her now proposing a truce was a stark contrast to the girl he'd met again in Timber.

He knew he hadn't made the situation any better by shouting back at her and looking back he was embarrassed, if not mortified, by the action. He was ashamed at the very least.

And this was why he extended his own hand, taking hers and forming a hand shake. Rinoa started in shock, a sign that indicated she was not expecting this response. After a moment, she recovered, and both shook hands.

"So it's a truce then," he confirmed and she nodded awkwardly as they broke the contact. "Okay then, sounds good. Well... I'm going to bed now... so..." He trailed off, suddenly feeling awkward and unsure of why.

Rinoa looked up at that, the expression in her features betraying her alarm and he wondered what the problem was. "Wait, you mean you're _not _coming?"

Raising an eyebrow, he leaned against the door, just wanting to go back to bed. "Not going _where_?"

"To the concert," Rinoa explained, looking confused. "There were advertisements posted all around the Garden. _Everyone's _going."

_Good for everyone else,_ Squall thought sardonically, but decided that saying what was on his mind would be counterproductive of the truce. "Rinoa, I've been holed up on the third floor for the last two weeks."

He apparently didn't need to say anything more, because she got the point. "Oh... right... Well... anyways, I thought that it'd be fun to go. So... do you wanna come?"

Purposely going to a place where a large number of people have gathered to party. Squall wasn't sure where she got it in her head that he would want to go to something like that, but then remembered they had both first met at the Graduation ball. She didn't exactly know that it had been mandatory attendance and that he'd been waiting for an opportunity to slink away, so of course she might have considered that it might have been something he was interested in.

So instead of pointing out the flaw in thinking he would want to be a part of this, Squall shoo his head. He most definitely had no desire to be a part of a crowd tonight. "Sorry, I'm not up for it. Like I said, it's been a very long day."

Rinoa looked slightly disappointed but then she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you do look tired. I guess you're probably feeling the pressure. You know, from your position and all."

Squall didn't add anything, instead shifting from one foot to the other. Rinoa sighed, seeming uncomfortable. "You know... I don't think what the Headmaster did to you was very fair. _No _one should have all that weight dropped on their shoulders, especially not as quickly as you did. So... the reason why I'm here tonight is... we all thought that you might want to unwind a bit. Take your mind off things. And if you aren't really enjoying the concert, we could just... well... we could just talk. Doesn't matter what it's about, but there _is _something I wanted to talk to you about anyway. So... how does that sound?"

Squall frowned thoughtfully before speaking. "Who's 'we'?"

"Figured you'd pick up on that, even if it is kind of obvious who." Rinoa laughed as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I'm talking about everyone. Irvine, Zell, Quistis and Selphie. And... me of course."

Another awkward laugh and Rinoa was a furious shade of red again. She cleared her throat awkwardly before smiling. "It'd mean a lot of us if you came. It's no fun if everyone isn't there enjoying themselves. So..."

She clasped her hands together and held them up in front of her in a begging position before tilting her head a bit to the side. "Pretty please, won't you come?"

The easy answer was no. He honestly really didn't want to go, didn't want to be around a bunch of people enjoying themselves while he was dreading the coming dawn. But he was also curious, wondering what she had to say to him. He also felt guilty. Despite thinking that she wasn't trying to make him guilty, she had as she reminded him of the others. He had been less than thrilled at being promoted, but others have probably been worrying about him. There had been signs of it. Quistis and Irvine had approached him on different occasions asking if he was alright or if there was anything they could do to help. He'd waved them off then, not having been in the frame of mind to deal with their concern, but now he couldn't help but feel... touched by the sentiment.

So reluctantly he tipped his head forward and, again, Rinoa looked shocked at his response. "Just give me a few minutes to get changed, okay?"

Rinoa nodded her head furiously as he turned back into the apartment and, as the door slid closed once she'd stepped out of the path of the sensor, he could barely make out her saying "Wear something nice! And your uniform _doesn't_ count!"

* * *

It only took him five minutes and then he emerged from his dorm, dressed in a black t-shirt and a pair of nice black jeans. He still wore his combat boots and, at the look Rinoa shot him, he'd said, "I don't have another pair."

"We're gonna have to remedy that later," she had said with a confident smirk as they'd set off.

Because they were already on the second floor, it wasn't much longer after they had left that they were outside. The sun had set by this point, leaving the stars in the sky as the only light source they could depend on. The moon shone the brightest of them all, even if it was just slightly thinner than a crescent shape in the sky. The way was done in silence and yet, for the first time in a long while, it wasn't awkward.

Thirty minutes later, they were leaving the lift that brought them into the town proper and walking along the streets of FH. Rinoa led the way since she was the only one of the two who knew where they were going. But he would have managed to find his way from the music that flitted from the distance, dimming the silence as it grew louder the closer they got to their destination.

But when they reached the edge of the street that started to slope down towards the Mayor's house, they spotted Irvine coming towards them. The sharpshooter closed the distance, grinning at them from beneath his brown hat. His clothes were a stark contrast to his otherwise cowboy look, a light shirt that looked like it was meant for special ocassions and a pair of black pants. "Good! Ya'll made it after all. Guess she convinced ya ta c'mon out."

He nudged Squall's arm with his elbow and the SeeD withdrew so that the action couldn't be repeated.

"I'll be waiting at the ramp," Rinoa called as she left the pair alone, leaving Squall to wonder just what the hell was going on.

Irvine's grin widened at the sight, which drew Squall's attention away from Rinoa's retreating form. "Ya both look good tagetha," the sharpshooter remarked almost candidly. "If I didn' known any betta, I'd reckon ya were a couple or sumthan."

"Fancy that," Squall deadpanned. Irvine grinned wolfishly.

"Picked tha perfect spot for ya'll," Irvine continued. "Ya know, i' case ya'll get tired o' standin' or just wanna get away from tha people. It's real crowded down there and all. Marked it with a magazine. Reckon you'll know it when ya see it."

_Just what is he alluding to.._? Squall found himself wondering. Then again, he wasn't altogether sure he wanted to know in the first place.

"Just let it all out and have sum fun tonight," Irvine added before looking around. "I'm needed down at tha bottom. See ya there." And then he left the SeeD standing there, passed Rinoa by and offered her a greeting before disappearing down the slope.

"What was that about?" Rinoa asked as Squall came to stand beside her.

Squall simply shrugged. "Who knows?"

They proceeded down the slope soon after that, but the closer they got to the bottom, the more people they were forced to manoeuvre past. Fortunately it wasn't packed along the ramp, which meant they were able to do so without too much physical contact with anyone else. It seemed to Squall that Rinoa was leading him right into the very heart of the concert and suddenly he felt a little claustrophobic.

The stage was big and looked nothing like the one that had been destroyed in the Quad. While that one had been simple, whoever had it built had cut no expense in its design or construction and, as a result, it looked rather extravagant. There were different sections with what appeared to be lights filtering through the floor and each section was slightly elevated above or below one another, causing different levels in all, with the back end plates being the highest. He caught a glimpse of some kind of machinery attached to the bottom of one and figured they might control the height of the platform. At all sides on ground level there were people moving about in an attempt to dance at such close quarters. The rest of the pack behind simply bobbed their heads in time with the rhythm of the music.

Speaking of music, it was the kind he had seen people dance to in Balamb town, if enough people got together and there was a stereo at hand. It was very fast paced with a somewhat hyper quality to it that got the blood pumping. It was working, as the front half of the crowd was packed with people just doing their own thing. On the lowest platform, there were five girls doing hand motions and movements all in unison, singing words to a song he'd never heard before. Some of the people in the audience had heard it though, because the girls on stage were not the only ones singing the lyrics, particularly when what could be assumed to be the chorus sounded. Then, abruptly, the song ended with the girls in drastically different poses as the audience broke out into applause.

Beside him Rinoa slapped her hands together, grinning ear to ear before saying loudly over the crowd, "I saw those girls practice a few times! I couldn't even _begin _to imagine following them in sync like that in my _life_!"

The audience's cheers followed the girls as they made their way off stage. Scarcely before the last girl disappeared from view a group of people – mainly guys from the looks of it – clambered onto the surface, setting up their places. They were in stark contrast to the girls and, from what he could manage to make out, they were slugging around instruments and clambering onto the different platforms.

Rinoa must have caught his look because she nudged him once in the arm to catch his attention. "Lots of bands are performing tonight. Some are playing a couple of sets, others only one! And then there are different styles, those girls didn't need instruments but some bands do!"

Squall nodded in show that he understood and it wasn't much longer after that when the next band was ready. The gap was enough of a reprieve for the audience to begin talking (or shouting) amongst themselves but the lead guitarist put an end to that when he strummed his instrument, eliciting a loud and ringing noise that got everyone's attention. Most people started to cheer but Squall almost groaned as he recognized the tone of the instrument, even as the band started to play. He had thought he'd gotten away from the Heavy Metal crap when he and Zell had no longer been roommates, but now it seemed like he had been a little too optimistic in his thinking.

But as he started to leave, he felt someone grab onto his arm and pull him back, finding Rinoa to be the culprit. She flashed him a brilliant smile. "You're not getting away _that _easily!"

So with a sigh, he stayed his place as the next band continued to play. The lead singer screamed and yelled out the lyrics to the point where anyone's throat would be a raw and tender thing even as his band mates slammed the drums and strummed their guitars. From the looks of it, there were a number of people in the crowd who were into this kind of thing, and they were suddenly screaming and shouting the lyrics as they jumped up and down on the spot. In Squall's personal opinion, he wouldn't have minded the girls to come back and replace the metal heads, but he silently endured it until the very last note was played and they bowed and waved as they mercifully left the stage.

Squall was just about to suggest they find somewhere where they could talk when a familiar voice intruded. Turning his attention back to the stage, he was surprised to find that Selphie had somehow managed to wrestle herself a microphone. Her hair was done up into pigtails at either side of her head, leaving her bangs hanging flat against her forehead. A yellow halter-top and a pair of jeaned shorts were all that she wore aside from a pair of calf-high boots she must have bought at some point.

"We're gonna go a little outta order for a bit," She said, her voice booming over the audience. Behind her, three other people showed up on the stage and judging from their shapes Squall had a distinct feeling he knew exactly who.

Meanwhile, Selphie ran to the far left of the stage and picked up one of the guitars that had been left behind by the previous band. She threw the strap on and allowed the instrument to hang off her slim shoulder as she held the mic up and shouted, "A-one! A-two! A-one-two-three go!"

And, with the flick of her wrist, Selphie sent the microphone sailing through the air and the person who appeared on the front platform caught it deftly in his hand before the lights blinked on. At the sight of them, Squall slapped himself in the forehead.

Sitting at the very back was Quistis, only instead of her normal fishtail bun, her hair was up in a high ponytail. All the strands had been pulled back and away from her face and she still wore her glasses along the bridge of her nose. She had on a simple looking t-shirt and a nice looking blue dress that hiked up along a thigh, exposing a pair of calf-high women's boots and she looked very nervous as she held two sticks in hand. To her right, Irvine stood languidly as he waited for their performance to begin, a bass guitar strapped along his shoulders and held at the ready. But what worried him the most was the fact that Zell was currently holding onto the microphone with gloved hands. He currently wore a shirt that looked like he'd had the sleeves ripped off and a pair a faded blue jeans with his red and black sneakers.

The band that stood on stage currently couldn't have been any more different if they had tried, and he didn't know what to expect from them.

The sound of laughter drew his attention away from the stage and he spotted Rinoa laughing at his expense. Suddenly, he realized she had been in on the whole thing, which was probably why she'd prevented him from leaving during the metal band performance.

The quartet however paid them little mind and quickly set to work, starting up their instruments. First came the guitar, followed by a simple drum melody and the bass. The sound of the music was at least decent, though Squall had no clue if any of them had taken up music as a hobby. Selphie was the most likely one to have done so, and either they all were or they were all just quick learners.

And then Zell started singing and instead of the ear-bleeding sound he had been expecting, it was a tone that wasn't half bad even as he entered the first verse. As the song progressed into the chorus and the verses beyond, he couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief and awe. The crowd around him seemed to enjoy it as they were cheering and shouting from all directions.

"You look surprised," Rinoa commented through a laugh.

"Didn't think Zell could sing," Squall offered with a shrug.

"Oh don't worry, he couldn't at first," she replied offhandedly. "But after a while he managed to get it right."

The song itself wasn't very long and when the instruments died down and the singing stopped, the quartet was greeted by applause. Even Squall joined in this time because he had to admit it had been a very impressive performance. Having remembered what Rinoa had mentioned earlier, he waited to see if they had a second set or if they were done. But Selphie surprised him again by retrieving the microphone from an embarrassed and red looking Zell and started speaking again.

"I'd like to take this moment to shout-out a _huge _thank you to _everyone_ who came here tonight!" Several people clapped at this and the small girl waited for the noise to die down. "And a _special_ thanks to the Mayor for offering up his house and putting up with our noise for the last two weeks!"

There was some laughter from the comment and Selphie waved in the direction of the Mayor's house. She followed suit by flashing a thumbs up, a sign Squall took that meant Dobe and Flo were watching from inside their home.

"And, on behalf of the Garden, I've just _gotta _shout out a _huge _thank you to the citizens of FH for not only fixing our Garden, but for helping making this concert a _huge _success!" Selphie cheered but it was overtaken by the roar of the crowd who whistled back and applauded. Again she was forced to wait for the noise level to die back down before she continued.

"So now, this next song – and it's our last one, I swear" (she received a laugh from the crowd) "us dedicated to someone _really _important to us all. Fisherman's Horizon might not know him, but SeeD sure as hell does! And I don't know about any of you but _I _personally think we'd all be lost without him! So, without further ado, this next song is dedicated to you! Congratulations on your promotion, Squall! You earned it!"

And as Selphie tossed the microphone back to Zell, Squall let out a startled "What" that was lost in the crowd's cheer and the start up of the instruments. Not knowing what else to say, he wondered if he'd heard her wrong, but then Rinoa burst into a fit of laughter, drawing his attention. She managed to squeak out 'surprise' before she continued to laugh.

"You knew about this?" Squall asked her in shock.

"Of _course _I did! You wouldn't have come if I _told _you what they were up to, would you?"

Squall went to say more, but he quickly recognized the softer tune that floated from the stage. After a few seconds, the drums and bass guitar followed suit and it wasn't long after that before the singing began. From the first few notes were enough for him – he had listened to this very song right before going to bed the previous night and it left him puzzled wondering how they could have known that. No one knew what his taste in music was, he'd never told anyone, and this particular number was one of his favourites.

As he was trying to figure it out, he spotted from the corner of his eye how Rinoa kept her lips pressed together behind a grin, almost like she was trying to keep from laughing. It didn't take him too much longer to connect the dots. "Was someone in my room?"

At the question Rinoa burst out laughing again, almost like she was unable to hold it in anymore and the question was the final straw. He sighed in frustration and her features fell at the sight of it. "Oh c'mon! They didn't do it to be spiteful! They did it because they knew you wouldn't have answered if they'd asked! Plus, it would've ruined the whole surprise!"

Squall frowned to himself thoughtfully and realized that he wasn't quite as angry as he should have been. It was a breech of privacy, but Rinoa was right. He wouldn't have given them an answer without knowing why it was so important. And, somehow, the thought that they would actually go to the trouble just to get the answer they were looking for was endearing.

The song itself being played by the others wasn't exactly how it was supposed to sound, but it wasn't bad in a way. It was a mild and unimportant irritation and it didn't bother him so much as he listened to the quartet play for the crowd. Other people seemed to have recognized the song because the air was filled with whistles amidst the sounds. At one point, someone held up a cigarette lighter, the flame's light illuminating the area only slightly. But this light grew as the number of lights increased swaying the glowing fire to the motion of the song itself. When it came to an end, the whole audience broke into applause. Squall was too shocked to join in.

Selphie thanked everyone for listening to their performance the the quartet cleared out to let the next band perform. Squall felt a light tug on his arm and, looking in the direction, he saw Rinoa grinning at him. "If you wanna get out of the crowd now, it's alright with me."

With a nod, Squall managed to manoeuvre his way through the the throngs of people with Rinoa keeping a firm grip on his arm as they moved so she wouldn't get left behind. The next band had started to play, the strange peppy music floating from the stage and over the crowd, though a backwards glance proved that there was no dancing this time, only performers playing instruments. By the time they reached a bit of space that didn't seem to push them uncomfortably close, they were a good distance away from the crowd and the people who filled it.

As Rinoa took a moment to watch the performance from their angle, Squall looked down and spotted a discarded magazine, knowing that this was the spot Irvine had been talking about. Leaning forward, Squall picked it up off the ground, only to stare at the cover in a mix of annoyance and horror. There was a picture of a dark-haired woman on the cover, completely naked with her breasts covered with one arm. She was giving what had probably been the camera a sort of sultry look, almost inviting the viewer to open its contents and peek inside.

Just as Rinoa was turning around, Squall tossed the magazine off the ledge and out of view, purposely ignoring it as the gentle wind slowed its descent to the panels below. In his mind, was a range of colourful expletives, all directed to the sharpshooter, whom he had thought had only been joking at the time. He should have known better, if guns weren't on his mind, then sex definitely was.

"You see," Rinoa said, oblivious at what had just transpired. "I _told _you this would be fun! Isn't this _much _better than hanging out in your room all by yourself?"

Squall had to admit that she was right. Despite that he would have been sound asleep the entire time, it did feel good to just get out of Garden and to forget in the midst of having a good time. But then he remembered that Rinoa had wanted to speak to him about something and he sat down on the ledge. Rinoa took it as an invitation to join him and did so. In the background, the music stopped for a moment, a slight gap between sets. Squall took the opportunity to talk without having to raise his voice to be heard. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something."

Rinoa jumped suddenly, seeming to not have expected him to speak. Apparently she had been listening to the music until it had stopped and simply waited for the next song to start. She nodded when she realized what it was he was talking about. "So, what is it?"

"Umm..." Rinoa started awkwardly as she began to fiddle with her hands. She bit her lip – a habit he noticed she fell into whenever she was nervous – before seemingly inspecting her fingers. "Well, it's about your promotion."

She looked up after that, but she didn't seem like she was looking at him. Instead, she focused her attention ahead, staring off at the horizon as he waited for her to elaborate. After a few seconds, she did. "I can tell you aren't exactly the type to settle for a job that requires you to order other people around and, especially with the with the Sorceress business, things are gonna start getting rocky, aren't they?"

It was a thought he didn't exactly want to get into. The very first thing he did after agreeing to take up the post was returning to his dorm room, feeling absolutely sick to his stomach at the thought. It wasn't just about giving orders that bothered him about this job. It was the consequences of those orders that he had a problem with. He wasn't fool enough to think that there would be no casualties in this war, and he didn't know if he was prepared to face those consequences when they came.

"And," Rinoa continued, oblivious to his thoughts, "with the job description and all, that means you're going to have to make some difficult judgement calls and decisions. I was thinking about that for the last little while, and I came to an interesting conclusion."

She turned to regard him when he didn't say a word. Truth to tell he didn't trust himself to speak. Just at the reminder, of what would be getting himself into tomorrow was enough to make his stomach turn, and not in the good way either. Rinoa offered him a small smile as she continued. "My conclusion is that, no matter how hard everything gets, you're gonna try and take it all on by yourself."

Squall was about to argue but stopped himself as he realized she was right. Everything up until this point, he had done on his own. He had done it all without so much as breathing a request to help or relying on anyone else in his life. He supposed that could have been why the weight of his position felt so heavy, but at the same time it felt wrong to ask for any help. It had never been an option to him. How could he _possibly _pull someone off a job they were entrusted with, one that would ensure the continued running of the Garden, just for him to be able of doing his own job? How was that fair? To them? To him?

"I talked to the others about it earlier this week," Rinoa pressed on. "And I wasn't surprised when they'd already come to the same conclusion. You're pretty predictable, you know. Everyone knows you really well. Well, about as well enough to be able to think of what you'd do, or how you'd react and everything. I'd like to say I do too, even if I haven't known you nearly as long as they have."

Squall was surprised by the admission and he leaned his forehead against the arm that was propped up against his knee. Was he really so predictable that everyone knew what he was thinking? Would they assume that a simple mannerism was something he would do even if they'd never seen him do it before? It made him feel more unsettled than before, and he dove deeper into his thoughts, not wanting to get into the subject but not liking the thought of not knowing all the more.

"You know," Rinoa's voice started from the right, surprising him out of his thoughts. She sounded like she was fighting back a grin. "When you start to think, you tend to frown like this."

Mere curiosity was what caused Squall to turn in her direction and he found that she was mirroring his position, her left arm propped up atop her knee while her forehead rested against her upturned hand. Only she was currently facing him, a mock-scowl plastering her features that was only ruined by an upturned twitch that betrayed the laugh that was trying to break through.

It suddenly dawned on him that she was mocking him and his frowned deepened at the thought. Throwing his hand out, he only caught air as Rinoa somersaulted backwards with a dexterity that shouldn't have been possible. Just as easily, the resistance fighter landed in a crouch and as she rose to her feet, she started to laugh at the bewildered expression he fixed her.

His surprised settled into irritation and he turned his back on her, not altogether sure why he'd let her talk him into coming to this concert after all. "I'm out of here," he said as he made a move to stand.

"No, no, no!" He heard from behind. At least she'd stopped laughing at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I was just trying to make a point."

"What? That I'm predictable?"

Rinoa sighed, seemingly realizing that she'd gone too far. "Well, okay... maybe you aren't really _that _predictable. I was just trying to make you realize that we still know you enough to know that you're not going to ask anyone for help. But that's the thing. You can't just handle everything on your own, it's not healthy."

He didn't know why he hadn't heard any movement from behind but one second he was on the ledge and the next he was falling. Righting himself as best he could, Squall managed to land into a hasty crouch before pulling himself as best he could. He looked up, wondering if the ledge had given way and how it had happened when there had been no warning.

He hadn't fallen very far, that much he could tell and he had landed atop the solar panels that surrounded the Mayor's home. But then he caught sight of a white and black blur leap down from the ledge and he recognized the figure as Rinoa, who had taken off her shoes and was now standing barefoot against the cold metal. The look on her face was that of a little kid who had been caught red handed doing something they shouldn't and suddenly he realized he hadn't actually fallen. _She _had pushed him.

He clenched his fists as he wondered just what the hell had possessed her to do something so stupid. Had he not managed to recover, he could have broken his neck. Had he been exceptionally unlucky, he could have broken a set of panels, something he doubted would have gone over very well with the Mayor. Before he could reign in his temper, he swore loudly, fixing Rinoa with a look that hopefully told her that her latest stunt was not at all appreciated.

But to her credit Rinoa didn't shrink back and she didn't apologize. The only thing she showed that betrayed her guilt was the look on her face, though somehow he doubted that it was for the actual act itself. She held her ground, her hands fisted at either side as she stood in determination. "That's it," she said and suddenly he felt the anger drain from him with that one statement. "Let it out. Let it _all _out."

Her resolve appeared to falter, though only for a brief moment. She took a deep breath in what looked like an effort to steel her courage and continued. "Stop keeping it all inside. Don't do it anymore. We don't have to know everything, but we want you to talk to us, even if it's only a little more. That's all any of us want. We're here to confide in you and we're not going to run away no matter how bad it gets. Whatever it is that's bothering you, no matter how small, don't hesitate to let us know. That's why we're here."

Her gaze turned downcast but then she pursed her lips looked back up. "I know it isn't easy. Asking for help hardly ever is. I just wish you'd trust and rely on us a little more. We're _not _going to bite you just because you say something that surprises us. We're here for you."

The only thing that Squall could do was gape at Rinoa stupidly as she spoke. Did he really come across as untrusting? Was it so plain to see that anyone took notice of it? Did it really hurt them all that much that he shouldered his concerns and continued on as though nothing was wrong? It was very upsetting to know just how much of an effect his inaction had on everyone else, but it was just the way he was. He always kept to himself, never relying on anyone else to solve his own problems or to make his worries go away. He didn't do it on purpose, at least he didn't _think _he did. It was just something he believed was up to him to solve.

But for the first time in a very long while he found himself wondering _why _he did it. Why he acted this way. Why he always put up barriers, never letting anyone else in. The answer he was looking for wasn't as elusive as he'd thought it would be. He realized he was scared, downright terrified, of becoming comfortable, of being used to getting help from others that one day it all went away and he was left with nothing but an empty, hollow feeling inside. He understood that nothing at all was permanent, that everything and everyone was bound to disappear at some point, that there wasn't any helping it.

It felt good to have other people around, to have people who believed in you and whom you could depend on, but in the end the only person he knew he could count on was himself. That was the most dangerous part of it all, to become accustomed to a way of life caused far too much pain and heartache when it was suddenly taken away, never to return. The inevitability of it all was what made it so painful. Everyone loses everything and it was the same no matter who you were. And when it happened, it was such a miserable thing, leaving behind an ache so powerful that no amount of time could mend it completely. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Squall knew he had first hand experience with this kind of loss, and knew how hard it had been to recover from it. He had resolved a very long time ago that he would never encounter that experience again, and he would never set himself up for such a thing. He couldn't afford it, he doubted he would ever be able to recover from it a second time.

It was a sad thought, one that did little to bring him any piece of mind, but it was something he had abided by for as long as he could remember.

He registered movement from nearby and brought himself out of his thoughts as he watched Rinoa stretch her arms up into the air, rising up to stand on the tips of her toes. "Now _this _is a really nice night," she said as she brought her arms back down. "I mean, what more can a girl ask for? A nice warm night, no rain, no clouds. There's fantastic music in the background, even if there's types I would never listen to in my day to day. And, to top it off, I'm with this _really _great looking guy who took the time to share my company."

Squall stared at her and couldn't understand why she felt the need to say all this aloud. But then she threw him a look over her shoulder, grinning in his direction. "And not _only _is he good looking, he's so sweet... _much _sweeter than any of the guys I've ever even looked at before. Unlike any of _them_ he _actually _listens, and he's really good at it too."

She sighed in mock adoration as she spun around to look up at the sky, hands clasped behind her back. "Right now, he's seriously thinking about what I've just told him. He's shy and doesn't say anything but it's okay, because I know."

"Because I'm predictable, right?" Squall asked coyly. There was no anger or irritation in his voice this time and Rinoa beamed in response, nodding in answer to his question.

"So..." she said after a moment. "What do you think? Wait, let me see if I can guess."

Rinoa cleared her throat, and the next set of words she spoke were done in a deep baritone that Squall assumed was supposed to be an imitation of him. "None of your business."

Squall shook his head in response and Rinoa laughed. It was another moment before he was permitted to answer without being interrupted. "I appreciate your concern, really I do..."

She suddenly closed the distance between them in three quick strides and pushed her outstretched hand into his face, causing him to back up a step. "No 'buts'," she said, her tone serious. She let the silence stretch before she withdrew her hand. "Just appreciate it."

Turning and walking away, she allowed him his personal space as she spoke. "Just think of it like this. We may only _have _this time together, right? Life's too short, and it'd be nice if we could all just keep each others company like this. Because we might not get another chance to enjoy it."

Squall frowned at the thought. "No thanks."

Rinoa turned around, her features betraying her confusion but there was something else there, something that betrayed hurt feelings as Squall elaborated. "I don't need friends who'll only be here today and not tomorrow. I don't need them."

He whispered the last part, almost afraid that someone else might here it and not knowing why he said it in the first place. But then Rinoa slapped herself in the forehead and sighed loudly, almost in exasperation. "My _god, _you are _such _a pessimist!"

"As opposed to a _fake_ one?"

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Ha-ha, I've actually met a few _fake _pessimists before, thank-you-very-much Mr. Smart-Ass. They were _horrible_."

"About as horrible as fake-bad dancers?"

"Hmm... close, but no," Rinoa said through a giggle. "But that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is there are no guarantees for the future. There never are, and it'd be unrealistic to think there were. _That's _why the time we have _today_ with everyone here is so important. We shouldn't waste it, we should make the best of it. Because we might not _get _another chance to tomorrow and we might be left with nothing but regrets and what-ifs."

She looked like she was fumbling with what she wanted to say next but after a minute of hesitating, she just said what she seemed to need to say. "We all love you, Squall."

He was so surprised by the admission that he wasn't aware that his jaw was hanging open until he tried to say something, and even then his voice failed to work for him. Rinoa was blushing furiously now and she seemed to be fighting to maintain her composure. "There. I said it. Please don't freak out or run somewhere to hide. All five of us really just want to live together through this time with you. _That's _really all we want."

"All five of you," Squall echoed, the words sounding surreal to his ears. The feeling was like waking from a dream, only to realize he'd been awake this whole time. "Together. With me?"

The words were spoken with the uncertainty that he felt. It was almost suffocatingly thick but when Rinoa nodded, the feeling lessened and it felt like he was able to breathe again. "Just keep it in the back of your mind, okay? Just remember that if you need any help, anything at all, _don't _hesitate to call on us. We'll be waiting for you."

She shrugged suddenly. "Like I said before, there are _no _guarantees for the future. But I have a feeling that we're gonna be together for a while. A really _long _while while. And I'd like to enjoy the time we have together before we go our separate ways."

He guessed he understood what she meant, but it was a lot to take in all at once. He knew damn well that this kind of change wasn't going to happen in a day. It would take time for him to even become comfortable with the idea. All it really came down to was a question. Was he willing to take the risk, to open himself up completely to those who seemed to care enough to want to him him so badly it hurt whenever he didn't given them the chance to.

And he was amazed that the answer just happened to be a resounding yes.

"So..." Rinoa asked after a moment of silence had passed between them. "What's on your mind, Squall?"

Squall didn't answer her right away, knowing that it was a loaded question. It could have a number meanings, and yet it sounded so simple. He supposed the most simplest of ones were the ones with the most weight and after a moment, he decided on his answer. "What do you mean, exactly?"

Rinoa shrugged in response, though her answer came quicker than his. "Whatever you're willing to tell me. You're likes, your dislikes, aspirations, anything you'd like to do in your life before you, well can't. Whatever." She laughed at the look on his face and beamed at him with a grin. "I know these things take time, and I'm not expecting to hear your whole life story. Just a bit here and there is enough. There's gotta be _something _running around in that overactive mind of yours that you'd be willing to share."

It wasn't as easy a question as Rinoa seemed to assume it was. Squall had no clue how to answer it, knowing that he'd already gotten what he'd set out to do with his life. He was a SeeD, and thinking about anything else at all he could possibly want greeted him with a vague wide road that seemed to stretch on for miles. It left an uncertainty that coiled around in the pit of his stomach like a violent snake and he shook his head slightly in an effort to forget it. "I'd... rather not talk about that. At least, not right now... if that's alright."

"Whatever you feel comfortable with," Rinoa said with a shrug, but she was grinning. The look in her features betrayed the truth in her words and he relaxed slightly. It was then that he realized he'd been worried about letting her down, like he'd been doing to everyone else for a while and he wasn't sure what to think about that. "I won't force you to go down any road you don't want to. _That's _all on you to decide. Whenever you're ready though, I'll be here."

"Well then, how about you?"

Rinoa blinked at him in confusion, the smile faltering slightly. He realized at the sight that he needed to elaborate. "Do _you_ have any dreams or aspirations you'd like to take care of?"

Rinoa hummed thoughtfully for a moment and walked around in a small circle as she considered the question. But then she mimmicked his earlier actions and turned to face him, hands still clasped behind her. "You know what? I don't think I want to talk about that either."

"That's sounds fair," Squall nodded with a shrug of his own.

"But what I want to right now," Rinoa said as she turned her gaze to the sky, "the most in the world is to stay right here, just like this."

Squall followed her gaze to the stars above their heads, considering her answer and realized it wasn't a bad option. Of course, tomorrow would always come because they couldn't stop the inevitable. But right now, right here, was a nice place to linger even if it only lasted a little while.

And as both he and Rinoa stared at the stars, he couldn't help but noticed that for the first time in two weeks he felt at ease.

* * *

_Okay, so I do have one more chapter for this arc, but I wanted to make an announcement before it comes, if only to give you guys some warning. My original plan was to keep ahead of the chapters I was posting in order to give you guys quick and speedy weekly updates, of which you have all enjoyed thus far. Unfortunately, along the way I stalled on a couple of arcs that I was writing and thus it slowed my writing while my updating streak remained the same. It started when I was writing the Missile Base arc and while I was able to finish before I started posting this installment of the novel, it did nothing to widen the gap. _

_Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about this upcoming arc; in fact, I might even have to overhaul the parts that I have written. To make a long story short (or try to at least), it means that after the next chapter, I won't be updating for a while._

_Now I know what you're thinking; 'Oh, she's going on hiatus, that means another FF8 novelization won't get finished'. I can assure you that I have every intention of seeing this story to completion. While I've been mucking around in my writer's block, I've been writing bits and chunks from future arcs; I've finished off a chapter and a bit of the beginning of the 3rd book (yes, I'm still breaking it up) and bits and pieces throughout. I also have a surprised planned for after this next chapter gets put out; let's just say that while 'RoC' won't see an update, the story of Final Fantasy 8 won't simply stop. _

_Now, onto the changes._

_I changed the instruments... and pretty much the concert on the whole. It just didn't make any sense to me that only four characters (the majority of them amateurs) entertained a whole crowd for an entire night, so I overhauled it, and planned to do so from the very beginning. I'd always envisioned that the citizens of FH would have hobbies outside of fishing, so I had them pick up instruments and play them every once in a while. I also entertained other genres; pop (the group of girls), rock, heavy metal to name a few. Extra points awarded to those of you who can guess what genre the song after Selphie and company was (you should know it; it was originally played at the concert in the game). _

_Just so you know, other styles of music will be introduced in this story. I refuse to limit it to just a few. _

_So instead of having to go through the stupid mini game of selecting instruments and seeing which ones meshed, I threw them out of the element and into something of my own creation. I'd always intended to have Selphie on lead guitar and Irvine on bass, and a friend of mine told me that it was pretty easy to learn the drums and since she isn't so musically inclined, that role immediately went to Quistis. Originally though I had never intended to have a singer, but I was hard pressed to find another instrument that went well with the kind of music I was having them play, so in the end I had to go against the original plan and gave Zell a microphone. The concept originally had me laughing out of my tree while imagining blood running in ruvlets down my ears, but I've warmed up to the idea. Still, I apologize to those of you whom I've tramautised. _

_And of course we get the dialogue between Squall and Rinoa; the extended version of course. I don't know what it is about the way I've written it, it always gets to me whenever I re-read it (and trust me; I've re-read this chapter a LOT). I think the best part of it was when I reached Squall's line 'All of you... together... with me?'. It's probably my favourite line in the whole chapter, even taking into account the humour, which I usually lean towards. It just makes him sound pathetic, like that little kid who stood in the rain waiting for his sister to come back. Personally, I think Square dropped the ball during this scene; they could have made it so much better, and that's what I tried to do. In my mind, I think I succeeded, or at least did a decent job of it, but again it's up to you, the reader, to judge since after all you guys are reading this._

_Oh, and in case you guys were wondering; the songs Selphie's band played were 'One Tin Soldier' by The Original Caste, and 'Castles in the Sand' by Jimi Hendrix in that order. For the first, just replace the trumpet with the electric guitar and the female singer with Zell and you've pretty much got the sound I was going for. Check both of them out on YouTube. They're pretty good._

**Update - 06/30/2012:** _Unfortunately it would seem that the Jimi Hendrix video for 'Castles in the Sand' has been removed from Youtube and instead the search leads to another song called 'Castles Made of Sand'. This is not the song I went for, so unfortunately those of you interested in listening to it may have to resort to downloading it instead. Sorry about that. _


	40. Chapter XXXVIII: The Morning After

**Edited: **_07/14/10_

* * *

******Chapter XXXVIII:  
The Morning After**

* * *

The sounds of the day flitted in through a window he hadn't realized had been left open and, as awareness set in, he became aware that it was lighter than it had been when he'd closed his eyes, the sight behind his eyelids a redish-hue. Slowly, he cracked them open and he found himself fighting to keep them that way as a grogginess set in. It was a sign that he was returning to the world of consciousness and he wasn't entirely sure he was ready. As he became more and more away, he found himself facing the wall, fingers curled beside the pillow his head was resting on as he lay on his side, his shoulder pressed deep into the mattress.

Sighing, he stifled a groan as he knew he only had himself to blame for being so damned tired. Against his better judgement, he had stayed out all night at the concert and by the time the festivities had begun to die down and the crowds retreated to their homes the sun was beginning to make its ascent above the horizon. It hadn't been a prospect he had been looking forward to when Rinoa had convinced him to go with her to the concert, but he really had enjoyed himself. Between the music and the atmosphere, even he had been hard pressed not to. It was only when they noticed the sun was beginning to rise that he and Rinoa decided to part ways and it had been through a sheer desire to avoid being caught asleep in the hallway that he'd made it back to his dorm and to his bed.

But now, there was something raging in the back of his head, telling him that it was important for him to wake up. But that logical side of him was losing the battle to the other side, the one that protested the action, the one that told him that he didn't really want to lift his head away from his nice and soft pillow, or that he was far too comfortable to even think about pulling himself out of bed. The battle eventually won, the only movement he made was to roll onto his other side – his shoulder was the only part of him that had been uncomfortable in the previous position – and soon he found himself drifting again, barely able to make out the block like numbers that blared back at him between the cracks of his rapidly closing eyelids...

His mind suddenly became well aware and he shot up in his bed before grabbing a hold of his alarm clock and inspecting the numbers. When he recognized the numbers he cursed loudly at his poor fortune, realizing that it was quarter to noon and that he'd slept almost half the day away. He'd been expected to be on the bridge by seven o'clock and had set the alarm to wake him up after a couple of hours.

So much for that.

Squall continued his steady stream of curses as he pulled himself out of bed, only to trip over the sheets that were wrapped around his legs and fall head first onto the carpeted floor below. He twisted himself around, eyeing the sight with an almost murderous glare, knowing that this only happened when he tossed and turned throughout the night, and then only if he was having some sort of dream that caused the movement. Otherwise, he was a relatively still sleeper.

He managed to untangle the mess and liberating his legs, but the damn appendages fell out from under him, not having woken up near as quickly as he had. It took a moment for the circulation to start pumping and when he was able to stand, he grabbed the first set of clothes from the dresser drawers and quickly began the task of changing (he hadn't actually bothered to change out of the clothes he'd attended the concert in and, with no time at all to clean up they ended up tossed haphazardly on the floor in front of his closet).

He was dressed in almost no time before he was rushing out of his room and headed straight for the bathroom to do his business and clean up a bit. There wasn't any time for a shower and suddenly he was grateful that he'd had the foresight to have one the previous evening. Once he was finished, he ran into the front room, grabbed his boots from where he'd haphazardly tossed them the night before and pulled them on as he left, locking the door behind him before running full out down the hall to the elevator.

He was angrier at himself for this blunder than for anything else. It was his first fucking day in office and he was coming in five hours late. What kind of example was he showing the people who were supposed to be working under him? What image was he giving them of their new Commander? That he was taking advantage of his power, that he didn't care enough about running the Garden to show the decency of being on time? Even as he reached the elevator and pressed down the button to summon it, he couldn't help but wonder if anyone had tried to wake him up but it was too late to go back and check his phone for messages. He was sorely tempted to just take the stairs and almost left for the stairwell when the elevator chime told him the contraption had arrived. Without wasting anymore time, he pushed passed the sliding doors and pressed the button that would take him to his destination.

Moon already soured, he slowly turned over in his head what he was going to say when he finally arrived. His late arrival would have an effect on the rest of the staff, that much he knew, and he'd better choose his words carefully if he was going to solidify the situation. Whether or not it succeeded, he was sure there would be talk and he was not looking forward to the rumours that would fly.

Too soon did he arrive at his destination and he barely gave the elevator any time at all to open before he was walking at a brisk pace to the double-doors that led into the offices. Past the door, he spotted the Lieutenant-Commander standing by the lift that would take them to the bridge and she was talking to someone Squall didn't recognize. He cursed the luck as he made his way towards the pair, the embarrassment creeping up more and more with each and every step he took. Xu looked up and saw him when he was just a couple feet away but before he could even open his mouth to begin, she shook her head. "Wasn't expecting anyone to get here until now," she explained. "Most of the admin staff have only just arrived. After the concert last night, you'd have to be _crazy _to expect anyone here any earlier."

Squall realized that she was right. The concert itself had been packed full of people, and there was no reason to assume that the administration wouldn't have taken the opportunity to relax like he had. Suddenly feeling foolish at his initial panic, he slapped himself in the forehead, an action that unfortunately did not go unnoticed by the elder woman. "Don't tell me you _ran _all the way up here."

"Xu..." Squall said in a warning tone, not in the mood to be hassled by his lack of foresight.

"Alright, drop the subject. I understand. Oh, and I don't think you two have officially met before but..."

Xu gestured to the young man she'd been talking to, who looked almost average. Dressed in his SeeD uniform, he had short brown hair dark coloured eyes, and was taller than both his superior officers. He waved good-naturedly and, before Xu could say anything more, he spoke. "Nice to see you again, Squall. It's been what, at least a couple months by now, right?"

Squall hesitated a moment, drawing a blank at this guy who seemed to know him. He didn't think they'd ever met before now and as he thought back to his past exchanges with the other Garden students, that blank could not be filled. After a minute, he gave up. "I... have no idea who you are. Sorry," he added in an attempt to be at least somewhat polite.

The other guy's face fell at the admission even as the Lieutenant-Commander watched the exchange. "Are you kidding me?" He asked, sounding somewhat hurt. It's me! _Nida_! We saw each other in Dollet, remember? You know, what crazy spider machine monster thing running through the streets? You yelled at my team to get to safety and then distracted it with Quezacotl. I thought you were crazy when you did it, but you managed to stall it long enough for us to get our asses out of there."

As Squall listened, he thought back to the day of the Field Exam and tried to remember seeing anyone fitting Nida's description. As Nida mentioned the Black Widow, he suddenly remembered the squad who had emerged from the cafe, staring after Selphie and Zell – they had gotten further ahead by the time they were out into the streets – not knowing what was happening until he'd told them to run to the beach. He was also reminded of another time he'd see Nida. They had been summoned to the third floor having passed the exam. His name was the one that had been called _after _Selphie's.

Nida seemed to realize he'd been recognized at long last because he smiled in what looked like relief. While Squall felt bad for forgetting the guy, he couldn't think of anything else to say aside from apologizing. But before he could, the other SeeD just grinned and shrugged. "I can't really say I blame you for forgetting about me. I'm not what you'd call a 'memorable' person."

"Just wanted to introduce you formally to the Garden's pilot," Xu supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, though I only just finished learning the controls a couple days ago," Nida admitted. "So don't shoot me if we start off kind of bumpy. Please?"

Squall nodded in acknowledgement, having already gone over most of the controls with the skill-hands the previous morning before the meeting. The last he'd heard, some finishing touches had been needed and those had barely taken half a day to complete. Having heard this as well, the former Headmaster had taken the opportunity to say his goodbyes and had left the Garden. The Commander wasn't even sure he'd stuck around to watch the concert.

"So we're ready to set sail when you give the word," Nida concluded enthusiastically.

"Before we do though," Xu cut in as she directed the attention back to her. "There are some things I'd like to go over with you, sir."

Squall frowned at the title, knowing that it was going to take some getting used to. He wasn't altogether sure that he would. "I'm listening."

"After you left yesterday, I went ahead and delegated duties between the rest of the staff," Xu started. At the puzzled look Squall threw her way she continued. "Sorry to carry out things on my own, but I thought it would help with the transition if there wasn't so much for you to look over. So, as it currently stands, I'll be taking care of the stock and supplies we'll need in the Garden. The rest of the administration staff will divide the funds that we have remaining, so at least we have less focus on the financial front. We'll still need to be vigilant though. Who knows how long Norg's funds will sustain us."

Squall nodded in a sign that she could continue, which she did. "In short, the only things you have to concern yourself with are our course of action, destination, and the other pleasantries that come with being in charge."

_Yay_, Squall thought sarcastically but opted to keep his comments to himself. Instead, he focused what the Lieutenant-Commander hadn't yet told him. "That leaves Dr. Kadowaki in charge of the students. I'm not sure that'll be enough."

"I was just getting to that," Xu assured. "As intimidating as she is, I wanted to ask some people if they would be willing to assist the doctor in that department, since her main focus should be the infirmary. There are a few SeeDs I have my eye on for the job, but I wanted to go over the list with you before I finalized the decision."

"Who do you have in mind?"

Instead of answering him verbally, Xu withdrew the clipboard she had been holding during the exchange and handed it to him to read. Taking a look at it, he realized they were the list she had compiled and read through the names, finding one that stood out to him like a sore thumb. "I see Quistis' name is on this list," he commented offhandedly.

"That it is," Xu confirmed, though she hadn't needed to. "She's one of the more qualified SeeD members we have for the job. She was an instructor for all of this past year and while her license was revoked, she gained a lot of respect from the student body during her tenure. Even before she was in the classroom, many SeeD members respected her from her experience in the field. I think it'd be a mistake if we didn't take advantage of that."

"I agree," Squall said after a moment of reading through the rest of the names. He had been going over the files of each SeeD member since he'd taken up the post in order to better familiarize himself with the people he had on hand. From what he could tell of Xu's list, his line of thinking was similar to that of hers.

He nodded once before handing the list back to the Lieutenant-Commander. "Okay, make it happen."

"Sir," Xu saluted the Commander before turning on her heel and heading to her office. But she only made it a couple of steps before she turned back around. "Oh, one more thing."

Squall waited for her to say what needed to be said, and Xu did not leave him waiting long. "Quistis approached me earlier and made a suggestion. Again, I wanted to run this by you before I acted on my own."

"What is it?"

"It's about SeeD Tilmitt," Xu explained and Squall arched an eyebrow in response, wondering what was wrong. "She was in charge of the team to destroy the Missile Base and coming back from that as well as organizing the concert last night must have taken a lot out of her. From what I understand, she's been doing plenty of running around since her return. Granted, SeeD Trepe was also on that mission, but she's at least had some time to recupe, plus she's had previous experience in the field. Taking into account that SeeD Tilmitt obtained her SeeDship nearly two months ago and is still a probationary SeeD member, I think it would be advisable to let her rest for a little while.

Squall didn't even need to think about it. Once Xu had started to explain her reasoning, he had been thinking along the same lines as the discussion. "That's fine."

"I'll start the paperwork then." Xu nodded before retreating to her office.

Turning away from the Lieutenant-Commander, Squall stepped onto the lift and rose up to the bridge platform.

It had changed drastically since the last time he had been up there. The amount of space had remained the same, but there had been additional plates added to the structure that elevated it somewhat from the front and behind the lift. The controls were the biggest change. Gone was the bulky box that had taken up the front half of the bridge and in its stead lay a small pad. It didn't look like there were any controls anywhere, but the Commander knew better, having seen the designs and blueprints throughout the last two weeks.

Having been started from citizens who had emigrated from Esthar, the technology in Fisherman's Horizon was at least three steps ahead of the rest of the world. The pad was actually a sensor and, once activated, it threw up a holographic wall that housed the controls for the flight navigation system. Nida, who had taken the lift to the bridge as Squall and Xu had been talking, stood in front of the sensor wearing the gloves that the engineers had given him during his training. They were necessary in order to activate the controls, so that no mistakes were made should someone else accidentally reach over and touch he hologram.

"Are we ready to leave?" Nida asked as Squall stepped away from the lift.

The Commander nodded in response. "Set a course for Balamb Town. Announce the departure to the Garden."

Nida saluted the Commander before drawing up the holographic wall. It was a translucent green that allowed the windows directly ahead to be seen through the controls. They took up the space from the far left hand side of the bridge to the right. Nida moved to the right and tapped at the dash which brought up the familiar chime that usually preceded an announcement. Soon after that, Nida was talking. "May I have your attention please. The repairs on the Garden have been completed and, as of now, the Garden will be disembarking from Fisherman's Horizon and start a course for the Balambi continent. As you all know, access to the Front Gate will be off limits until we reach the shore."

Squall expected that to conclude the announcement, only the pilot seemed to have an agenda of his own. "And now, a few words from our leader."

Nida stepped away from the controls and gestured – with a wolfish grin – towards though, as though ushering Squall to make some kind of speech. Squall scowled at the other youth. "No way," he said as the look continued and when Nida made no move to do so, Squall made a slash motion with his hand across his throat. "Cut the mic!"

Nida complied with the order though he was barely about to refrain from chuckling. The chime signalled the end to the announcement but the area below the bridge was alive with the staff, no doubt laughing at his expense.

With a sigh, Squall allowed his head to fall into the palm of his hands in exasperation. Something told him that this was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Truth to tell his assessment of the day had not been far from the mark, though it hadn't been nearly as insufferable as he'd originally assumed. It turned out that there wasn't really much of a need for his presence until they reached Balamb, with the exception of supervising of course. Not one who was comfortable with looming over everyone's shoulders to ensure the work was done, Squall had retreated to his office to look over the notes he'd made over the last two weeks, only to be interrupted every now and again by some member of staff needing to report to him or needing his expressed permission for some such task. It made him feel like a glorified baby-sitter and most of the time he deferred to their logic anyway. It was insulting to them and embarrassing to him.

By three o'clock, nothing productive had been accomplished and he'd called it quits for the day, making sure everyone knew to page him should they need anything before he left. He only stayed in his dorm for a few minutes to change clothes (and clean up the mess he'd left in his earlier rush) before deciding it was high-time he visited a place he had been neglecting since the former Headmaster had announced his promotion.

Fully junctioned and with gunblade in hand, Squall stalked into the Training Centre and took the left hand door after entering the lush forest-like surroundings and began to hunt the Grats that dwelled in the humid climate. He'd missed this place far more than what was healthy. It was like a sanctuary to him, a place where he could let off some of the aggression he felt all the while sharpening his skills at the same time. Now _this _was a productive use of his time.

If someone had approached him and told him that he would be have been promoted to a desk job just under a month of earning his SeeDship, Squall wasn't entirely sure what he would have done. He wouldn't have believed him, that much was for certain, but he had never truly seen himself as the one who oversaw an operation from behind a desk. As far as he was concerned, his place was in the front lines, alongside everyone else as they fought for their goals. He was no different than the next SeeD in his mind, so he couldn't understand why he was repeatedly being held up on display like some useless ornament for others to stare at.

It didn't take very long for him to find what he had been searching for. In the brush close to his position, Squall caught sight of the plant-like creatures as they scuttled around in search of prey of their own. Not wanting to end the fight too quickly by launching a fire ball and incinerating the nest, Squall slowly crept closer to them, treading carefully and lightly over the forest floor, almost like a predator eyeing its next meal. His grip on the gunblade was tight and steady through his leather gloves and as he cleared the distance, he tightened his grip all the more. When he was near the closest of the bunch, he swung his gunblade with quick precision, the only sounds it made were a quick _whoosh_ as it cut through the air.

But it had also cut through something else. The Grat he had been targeting split in half, the very top part of its body sliding off with a sickening _plop_ while the rest of its body fell back against the earthy ground. It didn't take long for the rest of the nest to realize they were under attack and they lunged forward in a pre-emptive strike.

Squall had had no idea just how much his skills had been improved since this very moment. Before leaving the Garden, he'd always had trouble dealing with more than three of the plant creatures without resorting to fire spells, but now with double the number he was doing remarkably well with just his gunblade. As one of the Grats spat its stomach acid in his direction, the young Commander jumped back and away before slashing at another. A shrill _shriek _from behind gave away his attacker but as Squall turned he realized it had already been hit by one of its own, the stomach acid seeping through the sack that was its body and revealing its internal workings. A fourth one came at him from the side and attempted to bat him with its long vine-like arms, wisely keeping out of melee range. Instead, with reflexes that he could never have dreamed of, even with junctions, he dodged both blows as though he were skipping rope. Manoeuvring his way closer, he lodged the gunblade into its sack-like body and pulled the trigger three times before the Grat fell back against the floor.

Withdrawing the gunblade, Squall swivelled around having sense movement from behind. As a result, he managed to lop off one of the tentacles of another Grat, sending streams of green blood flying everyone, lacing the floor beneath is feet and the trees in the vicinity as it writhed and whined in pain. Squall dodged again not allowing the blood to hit him and watched as it splattered against the tree, causing smoke to rise from the contact points as it burned through the thick bark. Their blood was the same consistency as their stomach acid, making them deadlier wounded than not. Charging forward, the gunblade scraped the ground before the SeeD lashed out, cutting the offending creature into two pieces with a diagonal upward cleave. The monster fell apart in two different directions, staining the ground with its green inchor.

Barely having broken a sweat, Squall was amazed that he was having very little trouble breathing. He wondered if this was a sign that he was ready to start training in the advanced section of the Monster's Den when another shrill _shriek _brought his attention back to his surroundings. Whirling around, he realized in dread that he had miscounted the number that made up the nest as one last Grat charged right for him. Before he could bring up a proper defence, the long arm of the Grat tripped the SeeD and knocked him right on his ass. Losing the grip he had on the gunblade, he watched it slide across the floor to rest against the nearby brush, out of his reach.

Raising his hand to fend of the creature with a fire spell, he was surprised when it suddenly stopped its motion towards him and, an instant later, the top half of its body slid forward as it separated from the bottom before the whole creature hit the ground with a sickening _squelch_.

Squall blinked stupidly as he looked for the cause of the killing blow, but he didn't need to search too long. He caught a flash of metal fly right by him, narrowly missing him as he ducked out of the way. He followed the projectile as much as he could and heard a mechanical _clink _as it reconnected with the other half of its weapon. Seconds later, Rinoa emerged from the brush, laid eyes on the dead Grat and grinned in delight at her kill. "And to think I thought I'd missed," she remarked to herself.

But then she seemed to notice him because the grin fell. "Oops, I didn't see you there. Guess I kinda just took your kill. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Squall waved off as he rose to his feet. "What're you doing here? I thought this wasn't your scene."

Rinoa shrugged almost nonchalantly, but there was a tiny smile forming in her features as she answered him. "It isn't, not really. But all I've been hearing about from the other students is how amazing the Training Centre is for honing your skill or whatever. So I figured since I'm stuck here for a while, it might be a good idea to at least check it out. I borrowed some sweats from the Gardens, grabbed my pinwheel and came on in."

And for the first time since she emerged from the brush, Squall noticed what she was wearing. Normally the girl prefer tight-clinging clothes but these ones gave enough breathing room to absorb the sweat caused from both the environment and the exercise. She'd even traded her boots for a pair of running shoes, though everything was embroidered with the SeeD symbol.

She grimaced slightly and scratched at the bottom of her face as she continued on. "I _know _that I should have an experienced SeeD with me and everything, since I sort of heard them saying that only SeeD members are authorized to come in here alone, but it hasn't been _too _bad so far. I've been shooting them off mostly with fire spells, and this is the first one I shot at with the pinwheel, so it should be alright. If it gets too bad, I can always run, right?

"Well, guess I'll see you around. Happy hunting," She said before turning around and starting to head back into the brush. But then she stopped before looking over her shoulder. "You know... _technically _you're the Commander..."

_I don't need to be reminded of that fact, thank you,_ Squall thought but chose to wait until she was finished.

"...Which sort of means you've got tons of experience in this place. At least, in theory anyway. So... I was thinking that, well... _maybe_... you might wanna team up."

Squall stared at her for a minute and she turned the rest of the way so that she was properly facing him. "At least until I get on my feet here, so to speak. It's really nice in here, and I could use the practice since, you know, I might end up doing some fighting while I'm with you guys..."

She grinned hopefully and Squall sighed as he realized he should have known this was what she was hinting at. There was no point for him to let her tag along. So long as she stayed in the intermediate section of the Training Centre, she didn't have very much to worry about. While it was always advisable to train with a partner, Squall found that he was perfectly capable of fending for himself.

And just as the thought crossed his mind, he thought back to what he and Rinoa had spoken about at the concert. Maybe it was situations like this she had been referring to, situations that involved him attempting to do things by himself even when offered assistance that he might need in the near future. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd found himself waking up in the infirmary, having misjudged the situation by assuming he could handle something when it had been out of his league all along. Of course, a very big part of learning was through making mistakes, like the Headmaster had always said, but maybe asking for help once in a while wouldn't hurt.

For her part, Rinoa was waiting patiently for his answer. She looked hopeful despite how long he'd left her hanging for a reply and, as he thought about it, he realized it wouldn't hurt for her to tag along, at least for a little while. She was already capable in a fight and had proven that much since he'd first met her. So after a moment's hesitation, he nodded his ascent. "Just try to keep up."

Rinoa looked shocked at first but then she beamed at him ecstatically as she jumped up and down in her excitement, thanking him mercilessly until he was able to cut her off. "You're going to scare off the game if you keep it up."

As a result, Rinoa made a motion like she was zipping her lips and throwing away the key, but she couldn't have looked happier. He nodded back at her before proceeding down the dirt strewn ground with her following after him. Squall allowed himself a sigh as he thought that, perhaps, her company might not be such a bad thing after all.

* * *

_A nice little place to end off this arc, or at least I think it was. Now for the changes!_

_Well... okay, I guess this whole chapter was a change, but it's fun to talk about it anyway._

_I thought it'd be a good thing to start the chapter up on a comical note, which is why Squall was rushing around like a headless chicken trying to get to work despite being so late. And on his first day too. I'm so mean. The rest of the stuff on the bridge was tweaked bits that happened in the game. Quistis was absent because since she's not a member of the administrative staff, there'd be little point for her to be present. But she'__s been given a good task anyway. Maybe it'll lead somewhere? Probably not in this novelization, but perhaps somewhere down the line. Only time will tell._

_The scene in the Training Centre was thought up due to my desire of providing proof that Squall really did take what Rinoa said to heart instead of saying what he knew Rinoa wanted to hear just to get her off his back, that he has people around him who want to help if only he'd give them the chance. His allowing Rinoa to back him up is his attempt at breaking those habits that he formed when... well... you guys know what I mean. I also wanted to show off how much he's improved despite the dour results of his past missions. Just because you fail doesn't mean you don't grow afterall. The fact that he missed a Grat also says that he still has some room for improvement, like everyone else. _

_**07/14/10** - Just an update. Finally managed to finish editing this monster, because ffnet decided to change the formating on me and thus it was unclear when the pov between different people had changed. Unforunately I have more work to do on my other stories, but this one was a priority. I also added bits of dialogue, so I hope it was worth it._

_Also, just wanted to let you guys know that I've finished re-writing the bits of the next arc that were giving me some trouble. Now it's all about getting through the whole thing so I can start posting again (hopefully very soon). Stick with me guys; I'm not a lost cause!_


	41. Chapter XXXIX: The Balambi Draft

_Okay, so I know February was the last time I updated this story, and I apoglize for the long wait. Unfortunately, many things have gotten in the way, from World of Warcraft, to Dissidia (they've announced a sequence that hasn't even come out in Japan yet, woo-hoo!) and finally to work. I won't make too many excuses, because that's not why you're all here._

_Unfortunately, the wait has not completely come to an end. I'm still working on this particular arc, though I decided to cut everyone a break and post this chapter, of which has been edited to death and there doesn't seem to be any way for me to nit-pick it any further. Actually, I'm quite proud of how it turned out. The title on the other hand leaves something to be desired so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated._

_This is proof positive that I have not given up on this story. Nor do I intend to. In fact, I have a fair bit written for disk three and it would be a total crime to stop it here. So without further ado, here is the latest chapter._

* * *

**Chapter XXXIX:  
The Balambi Draft**

* * *

When she first awoke in the morning, it had felt like any other day.

She climbed out of bed after silencing the invasive chime of her alarm clock and, as she stretched the kinks out of her back and arms, she took a look outside, noting something different. She had barely a minute to wonder why the clouds were moving faster than normal before she realized it was _she_ that was moving. Even more importantly, it was the Garden and with that knowledge everything flooded back to her. The Faction Feud, Norg's death, crashing into Fisherman's Horizon, the Headmaster's sudden retirement, the changes in the administration and finally their departure from the pacifist town. It had already been two days since they'd disembarked for Balamb Town.

Checking the calendar she had tacked up against her wall, she sighed in contemplation as she took in its meaning. Make that _three _days.

That meant they'd already travelled over half the distance to reach the continent of Balamb and that, after today, they would finally beach along the harbour they had barely managed to avoid colliding into nearly three weeks ago.

She couldn't believe they were already into the first week of May.

Sighing to herself, Xu went about her daily business and precisely fifteen minutes later, she was standing at the front door of her humble dwellings in her SeeD uniform, with the ensign that symbolized her current standing. The mark was made up of two solid yellow lines with a thin one positioned between the two. All three were followed by a small star in the very centre. She took perhaps an additional moment to admire the emblem before leaving her apartment and heading for the elevator that would take her to the third floor.

While knowing that not even the Commander was making an appearance until much later in the day to check on their progress, Xu was always the kind of person who got a head start on the work set before her. Truth to tell, there wasn't really much left to do until they regrouped with the remaining SeeD forces who had been left behind in Balamb, but she wanted to be prepared in the event they encountered the Galbadians.

Shrugging off the last remnants of grogginess that sleep had awarded her, Xu passed through the double doors leading into the third floor proper and started on with the day.

When she passed through the doors leading to her office, she stopped in her tracks when she took in the sight of files laying at her desk. During their stay in Fisherman's, she'd received timely updates on the situation regarding the Sorceress and her 'search' for Ellone, and as the days had come and gone, she found herself dreading the reports with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness at their inactivity. As this feeling would sweep over her, she'd found herself wishing they had learned more about the Garden sooner. Anything that would've allowed them to interfere with the Sorceress far quicker than what was able would have helped matters a lot, but in the end she was forced to push those thoughts from her mind and focus on the reality of the situation. There was very little they could have done while the Garden was being repaired, and there was even less they could do while the majority of their numbers were stranded in Balamb.

She crossed the room to the desk like she did every morning and she flipped over the folder that hid its contents before letting loose a sigh as she read the document. A small town called Sear's Point located along the eastern coast of Galbadia was now the latest casualty in the Sorceress' path of destruction. Judging from those very reports, the general attitude resonating from the Galbadian forces were still the same, indifference to the suffering of their victims and frustration that their objective was not yet completed.

Xu was also frustrated, but out of the sheer helplessness of the situation. This latest town's destruction brought the number of cities purged by the Sorceress up into the double digits, and the death toll into the thousands, if not more.

Curling her fingers, she clenched them into a fist and only lessened the pressure when she felt the nails biting into her palm. At the rate they were going, she doubted very much that the war would be brought to an end unless they found some method of stopping the Sorceress herself. Only then would the callous destruction end.

She was brought out her of her thoughts when she heard a page from the bridge, requesting her presence. Sighing as she fought to regain her composure, she slid the mask of neutrality into place and left her office to attend to her duties.

* * *

A gentle breeze swept throughout the lush surroundings of the forest they resided in. Monsters of different breeds and different types roamed about in a mundane and unoriginal cycle. Sleep, stalk, eat, drink, eat, kill, stalk some more, and finally eat and sleep again. The only means of disrupting the useless ongoings would have been if they had come to the end of their lives themselves.

The breeze did nothing to cool the surroundings, as vivid and real as they looked. The artificial air continued to blow nevertheless, but it was overshot by the heaters that kept the area feeling as sweltering as a damp jungle. Foliage churned and rustled from both the breeze and as some monster patrolled the area, knocking the bits of plant life askew. The natural residence weren't even concerned with such thoughts of the plants attacking in exchange, despite it being a relatively normal occurrence.

But despite the blandness of their surroundings and the dull routine they had become accustomed to, the artificial forest was not silent. In the distance, at the furthest end of the Monster Den were two combatants, sparing in a battle of dominance. The sound of grunts and metal clanking upon metal disturbed the lush jungle and even the monsters were smart enough to stay well away, or else become the target of the pair. For the past two days, whenever either of them got the chance to meet up, they would visit the Training Centre where they would either stave off the monsters in the surrounding areas or spar between one another. Today, they happened to have decided upon the latter activity.

Raising her arm in front of her, Rinoa launched the disc-shaped pinwheel forward, causing the small projectile to make a slight whirling noise as it flew from its docking pad and blew a path towards her opponent. Having expected the manoeuvre, Squall parried the attack by bringing up the gunblade, the blade dipped downward towards the ground. An instant later, both bladed objects clashed and caused yet another _clink_ to disturb the silence.

Then Rinoa did something he had not anticipated. She threw her right arm forward, as though concentrating on a spell. He threw his own arm out in order to parry it, but before he could he was thrown from his standing position as a strong burst of wind enveloped him. He was barely able to leap backwards and wondered how she'd managed to have the spell originate from so close when he was so much further away. It wasn't until he heard a dull thud from a few feet away that he remembered the Blaster Edge and when he turned his stunned gaze from the weapon to Rinoa's grinning face, he realized her casting a spell had been a ploy.

"Ha!" Rinoa laughed in triumph. "_Finally_ caught you off guard!"

Too shocked to do anything in response to her comment, he approached the fallen pinwheel and inspected the serrated weapon. Casting scan on himself he slowly opened his eyes and saw the last trendles of residual para-magic dispersing from the bladed object, which synched his suspicions. Blinking away the spell, he arched an eyebrow in her direction and asked, "Since when did you junction magic to your weapon?"

Rinoa shrugged. "I've been practising a bit. Plus Selphie told me you could when we were in the Tomb of the Unknown King. Fortunately for me, I seem to be a pretty quick study in the magic department."

Squall was amazed to learn this because normally it took a few years before anyone was able to fuse a spell with their weapon. Of course it was easier to do with the elemental spells, but it was tough all the same, specifically in Rinoa's predicament and he wasn't afraid to admit it either. "You _do_ realize that you've blown about a few years worth of training from any average cadet at this Garden just by learning what you've learned in the span of a month, don't you?"

"Oh?" Rinoa asked, clearing the distance between the pair. Squall rose to his feet as the resistance fighter during her approach. "Do tell."

"Well for starters, it's much easier to do when you're junctioned."

Rinoa's features lit up, no doubt getting the gist of what he was saying. "And I've never junctioned before either. Oh wow…" Her enthusiastic response gave way to her shock as the weight of his words dawned on her. "So imagine how much _stronger_ the attack would have been if I'd been junctioned with a GF."

_I wouldn't have _just_ flown up off the ground, that's for sure,_ Squall mused in astonishment. "Have you ever thought about joining?"

The question didn't have much behind it. It was just the result of a curious thought in his mind. While they didn't exactly allow anyone over the age of fifteen to apply, he couldn't help but wonder how she would fair through the training drills that the cadets in the Garden abided by.

At first, Rinoa appeared confused by the question, but as that moment passed, her gaze shifted to shock towards his offhanded comment. "Oh come on," she waved off modestly. "I'm not _that _good."

"Don't sell yourself too short," Squall responded seriously. "You've been fairly adaptable since becoming involved in this war and, as you already said, you're a quick learner. I don't think it'd be all that far fetched to say you could have been a pretty decent SeeD."

"_Just _decent?" Rinoa remarked with a smirk and he started somewhat, wondering what the problem was. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were giving me a compliment."

Squall shrugged in response and Rinoa giggled lightly before she cleared her throat. "Seriously though, no I haven't. And just because you brought the subject up doesn't mean I'm going to start either. SeeD is a _military_ faction," she pointed towards herself, "and I am anti-military. Not only would I come across as a _huge_ hypocrite, I can't exactly say I'd be able to keep my opinions to myself."

Squall had suspected as much. It wasn't that he was trying to recruit her or anything. He had simply wanted to throw the idea at her; get an idea of what she wanted to do once she and Garden split ways. He wondered how long until that point before he shook himself of such thoughts. It was her business, why should he care?

"_Will Commander Leonhart please report to the bridge..."_

As the message repeated itself Squall turned his attention towards one of the many speakers hidden beneath the moss and foliage that would've ordinarily been steel and plaster. He scowled at the contraption in contempt. They weren't due to arrive on the Balamb continent for another day, so what could they possibly need him for?

Rinoa smiled sheepishly, pointing at the speaker, having long since figured out where they were hidden. "You're being summoned."

He sighed heavily in response. "Yeah, I know."

He crouched down to pick up the pinwheel that still lay on the ground, however when he rose up he slammed the top of his head against something solid. Wincing, he dropped the bladed object and grabbed his crown as he winced in pain. He heard a sharp intake of breath and looked up to see Rinoa cradling her chin with both hands.

They shared an awkward moment of silence that was almost overshadowed by the cries of the monsters in the Training Centre, or the swishing of leaves against the air conditioner that was set up to simulate a calm breeze. He considered the both of them lucky that he had opted to not bring his junctions with him during this most recent trip. Rinoa's jaw might have been broken by the collision and, despite knowing she wouldn't have been able to talk, he wouldn't have heard the end of it.

"So…" Rinoa said, breaking the silence but doing nothing to diminish the awkwardness of the situation. "Um… guess I'll see you around, huh? Maybe later?"

"Hmm?" Squall hummed in confusion, wondering what she was talking about, but then his mind caught up with him; she must have been talking about the sparing session that was now being interrupted. "Oh, uh… yeah, sure. If I can get away early enough then… yeah."

He cleared his throat awkwardly and Rinoa nodded quickly in response before she started down the path before he did the same. He made it about halfway through the Training Centre when Rinoa whirled around suddenly, staring at him in surprise. "Are… are you _following _me?"

The question caught him off guard and he shook his head before he could form a proper answer. "I have to go this way to leave the Training Centre," he remarked.

Rinoa's face broke out into a bright red colour. "Oh…" she said tentatively before shaking her head. "Okay, its fine then." Coughing awkwardly she slapped herself in the forehead. "God, what is _wrong_ with me today?"

Squall didn't offer up an answer because he had no idea, nor could he explain why he was feeling so embarrassed all of a sudden. When the silence dragged on, he offered a shrug, hoping that it conveyed something. It didn't. "Well then," Rinoa said tentatively. "Since we're going the same way, why don't we just… walk…together?"

There was really no reason not to, at least no reason Squall could see anyway, and he shrugged again. "Why not."

They continued the trek in silence. Neither of them appeared to have anything to say to one another, and it left him feeling uncomfortable. From the way Rinoa was looking around to the left and then forcing herself to look straight, he was willing to guess that she was too. He just didn't understand why.

It was then that he realized that there had been something he'd wanted to ask her since they had left Fisherman's. It wasn't so much important, but he was curious about it. "Do you happen to know what's wrong with Selphie?"

Rinoa started as soon as he broke the silence before shaking her head. "What's wrong with Selphie? Nothing's wrong with her. I don't see why there would be. Why? What happened?"

"She's been put on leave for the next little while, and when I told her about it, she started crying and ran off," Squall answered slowly, not sure whether or not he really should be telling Rinoa any of this. "I couldn't do anything about it at the time, so I figured I'd ask you if you'd noticed something."

"Why not just ask her?"

"Because I think she might be avoiding me."

Strangely enough Rinoa sighed loudly. It wasn't out of exasperation, like he would have expected from anyone, though he did discover that she sounded almost relieved to hear this. "Oh, _that_. I wouldn't worry too much about it. She's just scared that you're gonna kill her for telling us that you joined the Garden Festival is all."

Squall stopped suddenly. Rinoa made it maybe a few feet further before she realized what had happened. She turned on him, offering him a sly grin, confirming that he hadn't been hearing things. Her grin widened slightly – something about his expression must have been amusing to her. Throughout the jumble that was now his mind, only one word managed to make the forefront to his vocal cords. "…What?"

Rinoa just continued to smile in his direction, and finally the jumble in his head managed to sort itself out. "She didn't _mean_ to say anything about it. It just kind of slipped out. It was right after Cid announced your promotion, and I guess she was bummed out that the only person she managed to recruit wouldn't be able to help out anymore. She was so worried you were going to kill her or revoke her SeeDship, but I know you wouldn't do anything like that."

"And how can you be so sure?" Squall asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because Selphie's your friend, just like the rest of the gang," Rinoa replied as though it were simple as that. "And it'd be a really petty excuse to demote someone, don't you think?"

She smiled almost knowingly. It was almost as if she knew the answer already and he got the same feeling of annoyance that he got whenever Quistis (successfully) predicted what he was about to say. "Though I have to say, I was surprised when she just blurted it out like that. That very morning, I was telling the others I couldn't picture you putting up decorations or making posters and the like." She giggled suddenly, almost as though she were mentally envisioning the very sight. "That declaration and the reunion we had in Fisherman's Horizon made me realize that you've been lying to everyone."

Squall frowned somewhat, not knowing what to say to the accusation. He finally settled on a question. "And what _exactly_ did I do in FH that gave you that idea?"

Rinoa grinned at him. By this time, they'd reached the hall just outside of the Monster den. From the looks of it, she was headed for the dormitory whereas he would be heading for the elevator at the front hall – the only elevator that could reach the third floor. She turned and started to walk away and he realized grudgingly that she wasn't going to answer his question.

Slightly put off by the action, he turned to head to the elevator when Rinoa's voice – a little further down the hallway – sounded unexpectedly. "You smiled."

Surprised by the answer, he turned around to see that she had stopped mid stride, and had turned her head around marginally, as though she had simply thrown the answer over her shoulder. She was still grinning slyly, but before he could make her explain herself further, she resumed her walk and, before he knew it, she had disappeared around the corner.

He was left with a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach at those words. Had he _really_ been smiling? Was this just something she would make up to get a reaction out of him? His thoughts went back to that very day in the square of the pacifist town, where Selphie, Irvine and Quistis had removed their helmets – still wearing the uniforms indicative of the Galbadian military – and he realized he couldn't remember if he had or not. He'd been both happy and relieved to see the trio alive and well when everyone had thought that they had died when the Missile Base had exploded. He supposed that it was possible his facial expression may have betrayed that. He couldn't remember making the gesture, which had to mean he had done it on a subconscious level.

He decided he would find out for sure later. Right now, he had to find out why he'd been summoned to the bridge a day earlier than what was expected. Making his way up the steps he entered the contraption, selected the third floor as an option and rode the elevator up.

About five minutes later, he had emerged through the double-doors on the third floor and boarded the lift up onto the bridge where both Nida and Xu were waiting for him. He fixed his expression into a neutral look, hoping that they would take the hint and start without him prompting them to.

It worked. Xu handed him a pair of binoculars before indicating the window. "Take a look."

Unsure of what this was about, he did as he was instructed, pulling the binoculars over his eyes. "What am I looking for?"

"Zoom in straight ahead," Xu responded. "You can't miss it."

Frowning, Squall did just that; he didn't need to zoom in very far though, because he could make out a structure that was blocking his view of Balamb Town's harbour. He zoomed in a little more and he recognized the structure to be Galbadia Garden, with a similar anti-gravitational mechanism that was keeping their Garden afloat above water.

Back when the Garden was still being repaired in Fisherman's Horizon, Irvine had informed him that the Garden Master of Galbadia Garden, Joseph Martine, had been found fishing on one of the docks in town. Both Squall and Xu had been taken to see him by the sharpshooter, and they had learned through him that the Sorceress had completed her take over of the Galbadian based Garden. For his part in the attempted assassination, Martine had been ousted as the Garden Master, and had found himself in Fisherman's Horizon, where the townsfolk had welcomed him (so long as he'd relinquished his weapons before stepping into town). He had told them everything he knew about the Galbadian Garden before they had left him to his devices. He had declined their invitation to join the Garden and assist in dealing with the Sorceress.

Lowering the binoculars, Squall handed them to the pilot, frowning grimly as the sight sunk in. "They're searching Balamb Town for Ellone," Squall surmised.

"They could have been there for days now," Xu explained. "Once Nida made a visual, he contacted me and I ordered him to stop the Garden's engines. We're well out of their visual, but it'll only be a matter of time until their people spot us."

"And if we try to move any closer, they'll know that we're coming," Squall continued the train of thought. "That'll probably speed up their search and by the time we reach the harbour, the town could already be in the process of burning to the ground."

"Damned if you do and damned if you don't," Xu summed up, looking just as grim as Squall felt. "So what are your orders, sir?"

Squall stared out the window thoughtfully, taking in the sight of the enemy Garden. They couldn't very well leave the town to fend for themselves. While they had SeeD personnel stationed there from when the Garden became mobile, he doubted that they would be able to do anything to stop the Galbadians for very long. Fend them off for a while maybe, but not indefinitely. All it really came down to was how long the town had been pinned down by the Sorceress' forces. It was very likely that many of their people were already wounded or dead from the Galbadian invasion.

As he ran through his options, Squall came up with an idea that was at least feasible. It would involve a small team of SeeD members in civilian attire, and they would have to be quick about it. He knew he would be involved in this mission, which would leave Xu in charge of the majority of the Garden. They would just have to send a message to her when they were ready for the Garden to move in.

With any luck, the war against the Sorceress might end before it could even begin. "Call Irvine, Zell and Quistis to the bridge," Squall said once he'd collected his thoughts. "We'll want as small a team as possible infiltrating the town. We'll hold the briefing in the conference room. Give everyone ten minutes to arrive, no later than that."

As Xu affirmed the order, Squall left in order to at least make himself somewhat presentable.

* * *

He was late.

It was not his intention to be late, nor was it in his nature to make others wait for him, and yet here he was, sauntering on out of the elevator and passing through the double doors that led into the third floor of the Garden. The only sounds that were made were the clink of his feet as he purposely strode across the linoleum. No one was around, which had to mean they were all in the conference room waiting on him.

Turning to his travel companion, he told her to wait out in this open expanse for a bit before he waltzed on into the room. The automated door slid open for him, allowing him access and he, as discreetly as he could manage, breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently he wasn't as late as he thought he was.

The conference room was probably the biggest room he'd ever ventured into at this Garden. The walls were the same dull off-white he'd seen of the rest of the building, and the rug that sat beneath his feet was a marbled combination of black and greys. Along the wall behind him and across the room were monitors that he assumed were used in teleconferences, and positioned in the very centre was a table that looked like it should've been in Caraway's mansion. It was long and looked expensive, with at least a dozen matching chairs that were scattered all around the object. There were no windows in this room. It gave him a slight feeling of claustrophobia and yet the air wasn't stifling hot or stuffy. He guessed the Garden's central air reached even this room. A glance to the ceiling above him revealed an air vent, which validated his suspicions.

There were other people in the room as well who had arrived before he had; Quistis and Zell's expressions were fixed solemnly as though they were preparing for a mission briefing (which, he supposed, could be possible) while the Lieutenant-Commander was glaring daggers in his direction, probably because of his tardiness. The Commander just looked annoyed and gave him a pointed look.

Irvine tried his best not to wince from the glares he received from the latter two. He _really _disliked being late. Deciding to smooth the air, he tipped his hat forward in what he hoped to be perceived as a casual greeting. "Sorry I'm late."

He fell silent and waited for their response, no doubt enquiring what could have been more important than a summons from the Commander of Garden. He was pleasantly surprised when no one spoke up immediately. Zell and Quistis exchanged glances between one another and the Commander sighed, as though dismissing the subject altogether. The sharpshooter took that as an invitation to get seated and he did just that. He was about to prop his feet up on the table – like he always did, but a jab in the ribs from the former instructor made him wince and decide to lean back casually in his chair instead. Beside the Commander, the Lieutenant-Commander sank down into her seat at the meeting began with Squall remaining on his feet.

"We don't have much time to act, so I'm not going to beat around the bush with semantics," Squall began and Irvine smirked. He hadn't expected him to. "Approximately thirty minutes ago, Galbadia Garden was spotted along the harbour of Balamb Town."

Irvine felt his smirk drop from his features at the news and looked around at everyone else. Quistis leaned forward in her chair, her back straight as she assumed the role of a soldier, but Zell had frozen in his own seat, his face paling at the news. Regardless of Irvine's movements or the reactions of the other two present, Squall continued regardless. "To prevent the Garden from being spotted in an approach, we have had the Garden pilot shut off the engines."

He frowned at the news. He had thought he'd felt something shift beneath his feet earlier, but he hadn't made any noise about it. No one else had seemed to have felt it, so it had enhanced his thoughts on keeping the information to himself. Now though, he guessed that he probably should've brought it up.

"What could this mean?" Quistis asked suddenly. Her hands were brought above the table and were clenched along the surface.

"It could mean anything, really," Squall answered with a verbal shrug. "Galbadia launched missiles at this Garden, which means they would have had to know where we were situated in order to target us. It could be an attack against the town as a strategic point in order to gather more ground against us."

"But ya don't reckon that's tha case," Irvine said smoothly. The Lieutenant-Commander's expression darkened from the interruption, however in response Squall shook his head.

"It's more likely the Galbadian forces are still searching for Ellone," the young Commander replied, "and Balamb just happens to be the next place they're conducting their search, since they couldn't find Ellone in Fisherman's Horizon. It's very likely they aren't expecting us to return so soon after our last encounter, which means we have the advantage of surprise on our side."

"Unfortunately, our options are limited," the Lieutenant-Commander took over. Squall stepped to the side as she raised her hand and pressed a button on the remote she was holding. The screen behind the Commander blinked to life and a map of the Balambi region appeared in front of them with a blue backdrop. Along the map was the position of the Galbadian forces and Balamb Garden a few feet away. "As the Commander has already said, we haven't been spotted by the Galbadian forces. If we were to advance forward towards the enemy Garden, it is inevitable that the Galbadians would see us, and very likely they would set the town on fire before we could even reach land as a means of covering their escape."

"So what's our other options?" Zell asked, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun. "We can't just _let_ the Galbadians conduct their search. They're gonna set the town on fire whether they find Ellone or not."

"Which is why we've come up with another alternative," Squall interjected and Zell fell back in silence. "Instead of attacking head on and exposing our position, a small team will be sent to infiltrate the town. Many of our forces were left behind when the Garden was uprooted, and it's more than likely they took refuge in Balamb Town. The infiltration team will regroup with the rest of the Garden's forces and then liberate the town from the inside. The Galbadians shouldn't suspect an attack of that calibre from within, especially if they've threatened harm to the civilians."

As though it was even possible, Zell's features paled all the more. Irvine figured the brawler knew people in town. Probably people he was close to. During their band practices the previous week, Zell had mentioned something about his mom, and the sharpshooter guessed that the brawler had a good reason to be as worried as he seemed to be.

"But we can't move the Garden any closer than where we already are," Quistis pointed out. "The only other way I can think of to get inside is to drop the team from the sky, but the Galbadians would see that coming. Even if they didn't, we don't have the air support required for such a move."

The former instructor appeared thoughtful for a moment before speaking up again. "Though I suppose we _could_ attack from below."

"Balamb's not big like Deling City," Zell shot down with the shake of his head. "Sure, we've got sewers but they don't lead anywhere outside of town. And because of our escape in the sewers after the assassination attack, the Galbadian's are probably looking underground for intruders as well."

"There's still one more option we haven't discussed," Squall pointed out, garnering looks from everyone but the Lieutenant-Commander. "Because of the nature of this mission, the infiltration team is going to comprise of a small group, which is where you three come into this. Zell knows the town like the back of his hand. He'll be able to navigate us around the Galbadians quickly once we arrive."

Silently, Irvine wondered if allowing the brawler on a mission that involved his home was such a good thing. Apparently, Quistis seemed to agree because she spoke up faster than he did. "While that alone is true, wouldn't it pose a conflict of interest?"

The former instructor offered Zell an apologetic look before returning to her point. "Zell grew up in Balamb town and everyone knows him there. If something were to happen to one of the civilians wouldn't that put his judgement into question?"

"I've already considered the fact," Squall commented. "This whole situation is the worst case scenario. _Everyone_ in this Garden has a personal tie to Balamb Town, not just Zell. As well as being able to navigate the town better than most people I can think of, he also has the respect of most of the civilians. If they were to try something stupid, like attacking the Galbadian forces on their own, Zell would be able to put a stop to it without much conflict."

Zell looked ecstatic that the Commander would come to his defence and Irvine sighed, gathering that Squall must've thought of everything before calling them all up here. He waited for any more objections before continuing and Irvine cursed, realizing he'd had the perfect opportunity to interrupt. "I've also chosen you two," Squall directed towards Quistis and Irvine, "because of your invaluable information on Galbadian formation. Having trained along side potential soldiers," he indicated Irvine, "and having fought against them for so long," he indicated Quistis, "you'll know their movements well, and that is an asset on this mission."

Irvine frowned. The Commander had definitely put some thought into this team, and he realized he would be bursting that bubble with what he had to say. "Sir," Irvine interrupted, raising his hand lazily in order to direct the attention towards him. "Before tha mission briefing continues, can I have a few words with ya?"

"Now?" The Lieutenant-Commander snapped, her features alone telling him that she disapproved of the interruption. "We're in the middle of an important briefing here and Balamb Town can't afford the delay. Can't it wait?"

"Reckon it can't," Irvine shot back smoothly, wondering what the woman's problem was. Unfortunately though, she was right. They didn't have time for this, and they sure as hell didn't have time for him analyzing the Lieutenant-Commander. "It'll be real quick, I promise."

The Lieutenant-Commander's features twisted like she'd taken a bite out of a lemon. Apparently she didn't think they should deviate from the subject. All the same, the further they went along with this briefing, the less likely he would be able to say what he needed to.

Zell and Quistis stared at Irvine as though they only realized he was sitting there before exchanging puzzled glances and looking up at the Commander, who looked marginally surprised by the sudden interruption. Finally the Lieutenant-Commander turned her gaze onto him, as though she were silently asking him what he wanted to do. With everyone staring at him, Irvine gathered that Squall was less than comfortable and he sighed lightly. "Alright Irvine. You've got one minute."

Irvine nodded thankfully before he rose to his feet and made for the door. He heard another set of footfalls along the carpeted floor and knew the Commander was following after him. They made it as far as the door before Irvine started talking. "Permission ta speak freely?" Irvine tried.

Squall just gave him a look of which Irvine translated to read 'don't waste my time'. Shrugging almost apathetically, the sharpshooter decided to tell it plainly. "I'd rather _not_ participate in this mission, if it's all tha same ta ya."

The sharpshooter watched the Commander for any sign of a reaction but couldn't find one. So he sighed and decided to use what he had left of his minute to explain. "I ain't a SeeD, and we both reckon ya know more experienced people who would be a betta asset to this team."

"I probably do," Squall offered in rebuttal. "I've never worked with them before."

Irvine hung his head, cursing the SeeD's stubbornness. "And ya never will if ya just keep workin' with tha same people. Ya owe it ta Balamb ta use tha best suited people ta rescue 'em and, no offence ta tha other two, but I don't reckon this team makes tha cut."

"But that's not the _real_ reason you want out of this mission," Squall said suddenly and the sharpshooter felt his mouth go dry at the accusation. "Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot, because I most assuredly am not. What's this really about?"

Irvine frowned and mentally cursed the SeeD again, wondering how the hell could he see through his act. He was a smooth talker and usually that came in handy whenever he wanted to utilize that strength. Then again, Squall was focused on facts, and had probably learned how to tell where the hidden meaning was in a flurry of pretty words. He hated trying to fool logical thinkers and realized that the truth would be the only card he'd be able to use. It wasn't exactly his best option either. He wouldn't have been surprised if he got verbally washed down for the request.

Unfortunately he didn't have much say and he decided to bite the bullet. "It's about Selphie."

Squall arched an eyebrow. It was the first sign Irvine had seen in the Commander's normally stoic expression that was anything but indifferent. He sighed before continuing. "Well, she's been kinda down since tha whole Missile base thang, and I know she's been tryin' ta make a front o' bein' all cheerful-like and evrathan'."

"That's why she's on leave," Squall said neutrally.

"Yeah, and that was mighty generous of ya," Irvine added in. "But, it's like this. When a gal's upset, she says she wants ta be alone, but what she _really _needs is some company."

Squall stared pointedly at him and Irvine immediately realized his poor choice of words. The very last time he had tried to give Selphie some company, the Commander had walked in to see the sharpshooter (admittedly) harassing the smaller girl. He'd even warned him to back off, not in those exact words. He may have been a good head shorter than him, but it didn't make Squall any less intimidating. "I ain't talkin' 'bout _that _kinda company," he said as he brought up his hands in defence. "All I reckon's she needs ta talk ta someone."

"So let me get this straight," Squall said slowly and Irvine could tell just by the words alone that the Commander didn't have a real good impression of him right now. "You want to ditch a mission just to make someone feel better?"

"It sounds dumb, I know," Irvine said awkwardly. "But ya _gotta_ know Selphie's hurtin'. Her home Garden was the first target of the missile launch and there wasn' anythang we coulda done ta stop it. She's tryin' ta act all strong and look on tha bright side, but there were tons a people she knew up in Trabia, and she's probably worryin' her lil' head about 'em. And I just wanna help her get over this is all."

Squall looked thoughtful and Irvine realized that maybe the Commander was listening to him after all. After a moment, Squall shook his head and Irvine felt that ray of hope plummet into his stomach. "I'm sorry, but even if I sanctioned this, it would mean we'd have to find someone to replace you and we don't have the time."

"I already thoughta that," Irvine said, relieved that that was the only real obstacle left that he had to face. "And I reckon I've found a replacement who's good for tha job. She might not know much 'bout military movements or what not, but she knows a good cause when she sees it. All ya'll need ta do is tell her what she's doing."

Squall frowned in apprehension and Irvine grinned. "Have I steered ya wrong yet?"

The Commander looked like he wanted to answer, but restrained himself. For that Irvine was grateful. "I even brought her up an' evrathan so ya wouldn't waste the manpower lookin' 'round for her."

He turned to look over where he'd left the girl he'd brought with him and ushered her over. When she came closer, Squall's expression shifted from stony-faced to shock and Irvine couldn't help but grin at the Commander's expense. However, the expression was wiped from his features when Squall spoke up next. "No."

"Hey now," Irvine said almost incredulously. "Ya'll don't exactly have tha luxury o' bein' picky. She's a good fit, and we know what she's capable of. What's tha problem?"

"She's a _client,_" Squall said forcefully, as though that solved the matter.

"Technically all contracts with the Garden have been suspended until the Sorceress threat has been taken care of," she said as she drew nearer and Irvine and Squall both regarded Rinoa, who was smiling in embarrassment. "So that means I'm not a client anymore."

"Alright, not a client then," Squall said in exasperation and Irvine frowned, knowing the Commander was going to put up a fight. "She's a civilian."

"What? 'Cuz she ain't a SeeD?" Irvine asked with an arched eyebrow and he grinned slightly. "Well then, I'm not a SeeD neitha, so using that logic, what'd ya reckon that makes me?"

"You underwent training in the Garden," Squall explained pointedly. Irvine shrugged as the SeeD Commander continued. "You're not a civilian, and Garden mandates that SeeD cannot and _will_ not participate in any action that causes harm to a civilian unless they are the target of a client."

"Well then I'm not a part of this mission," Rinoa said with a shrug. Irvine stared at her near panic whereas Squall almost looked relieved but each of their reactions took a 180 degree turn when they heard what she said next, "I'll just tag along like I've been doing the last month."

And she topped the comment of with a sweet smile Irvine thought was priceless. But before the Commander could make another argument, Rinoa cut him off. "Let's see… I was there when SeeD first attacked the Sorceress – I have an idea of how she fights, and how powerful she is from first hand experience. I helped save this Garden from missile attacks, and even accompanied SeeD personnel on a mission in Fisherman's Horizon back when Cid was the Headmaster."

As she spoke, she ticked her fingers as she went down the list of things she'd _helped _Garden accomplish in her short time with them. "I think that makes me more than a little qualified, don't you?"

"That mission in Fisherman's Horizon was supposed to be strictly diplomatic," Squall said with a sigh. "No fighting was supposed to take place."

"That didn't stop the Galbadian's from attacking," Rinoa replied sweetly.

Irvine just hung back and watched the dispute, already having an idea of who would win this argument. "And besides, I recall a certain _high-ranking someone _saying _something _interesting this morning. I can't recall for certain, but I'm pretty sure it was along the lines of me having _blown away_ years worth of training from other cadets with the kind of skills that could have made me a great addition to SeeD anyway."

The sharpshooter arched an eyebrow to her commentary and was even more surprised when Squall didn't have a rebuttal. If anything, he appeared shocked that she would even mention something like that. He was so shocked in fact, that he would attempt to make a rebuttal, only for it to die as he opened his mouth. Then, he would close it again, only to begin the cycle anew.

Irvine smirked knowingly. He'd already figured out they were training together in the Training Centre for the last few days, and he could guess who that 'high-ranking someone' had been.

"Face it Squall," Irvine said candidly when the Commander made to repeat the cycle a fifth time, "her mind's set. Ya lost this fight, so ya might wanna concede defeat now while ya still got _some_ dignity left." He tipped his hat forward at the dark glare he received for his input. "Just offerin' some friendly advice from personal experience."

As he mentioned it, he recalled the trip from the Desert prison when he'd first picked Rinoa up, and remembered exactly how he'd lost _that _argument. Squall should at least be thankful she hadn't thought to bring out her claws. Rinoa looked smug as she waited for the Commander to concede, who just stared darkly at the pair, as though they had planned this conjecture in advance. Well they had, but it was sort of amusing to watch the look on his face darken as the somewhat paranoid thought crossed his mind.

"So I'm just gonna mosey on outta tha way," Irvine said as he indicated the door. "I know tha mission specs are classified like so I won't even bother askin' for an update."

And with that, the sharpshooter left the pair before the Commander could argue the point any further.

* * *

He hadn't looked forward to explaining Rinoa's sudden appearance in the conference room, or about Irvine's sudden departure from the mission. Fortunately the only argument that was thrown his way was the knowledge of how Rinoa's partnership with SeeD began. Other than that there were no real objections, (at least none that anyone offered up to him anyway) and the briefing continued almost as though it had never been interrupted. Once everyone was apprised of the situation and their roles in the upcoming mission, the participants were dismissed in order to get ready.

Everyone reconvened fifteen minutes later with the gear they required but instead of the more professional interior that was the conference room on the third floor, they had met by the elevator on the first where they made their way down to the basement level of the Garden. The irony of their location was not lost on them; when the majority of the group had been there last, it had involved a dismal briefing that had eventually spiralled into a fight for their lives against the Garden Proprietor.

The strange chair-like pod Norg had been situated inside of was still there, only now it was empty, save for a dull glow that gave the illusion of an egg-shaped object in the seat; the Garden had not been able to decide the best way of removing its huge girth from the building without causing any more damage to the interior of the building. The Garden Faculty had also vanished from the place; an announcement had been made about their contract with the Garden being terminated and Squall assumed they had also been left behind at Fisherman's.

Considering what they had done in the past, kicking them out of the Garden was most definitely the nicest thing that could have been done to them.

The group of five made their way beyond Norg's antechamber and approached an area that looked as though a squared off section of the floor depressed itself from the rest. It could only be described as a small lift – similar to the one inside the Communication's Tower in Dollet. It was barely wide enough for all of them to fit, and when it began its descent, Zell and Rinoa almost lost their footing. The lift seemed to crawl as it took them below the Basement level, and when it stopped they were greeted with complete darkness that lasted only for a moment, before the automated fixtures sprung to life, nearly blinding the group as they took in their surroundings.

Beyond the platform they had just taken was a ladder (Zell groaned when he spotted it) that led further down. The room itself was angled strangely; the top half was wide, while the floor seemed to narrow until the opposite sides of the wall were barely a couple of yards apart from each other.

"Where are we?" Rinoa asked tentatively as they descended the ladder. Her voice echoed off the chamber, throwing her question around them in an almost dizzying array.

"The second basement level," Xu answered.

"I didn't know we even _had _a second basement," Quistis spoke as she marvelled at their lacking surroundings.

"Hell, I didn't even know we had a _first _basement," Zell retorted.

"Neither did we," Squall responded to Quistis' comment with a verbal shrug, "until the skill hands started their repairs. The Headmaster was surprised too."

"It shows how much we knew about the Garden," Xu added thoughtfully. "Or rather, what we _didn't_ know."

"So if we're at the bottom of the Garden, how are we getting out?" Rinoa asked tentatively.

"When the skill hands found this place," Xu explained, "it was just a small and empty space. The people who used this Garden before us were Centra settlers who survived the Lunar Cry eighty years ago. This was probably the equivalent to their panic room in case they were attacked along their journey."

"It doesn't look big enough to fit everyone," Quistis surmised. Xu nodded in response.

"Which is why only the women and children were hidden down here," she continued. "All the able-bodied fighters were living in the higher grounds of the Garden in order to fend off their attackers. At least that's how the history books explain it; there are mentions of Centra shelters hidden around the world, but no one ever thought they'd actually come across one."

"So then if _this_ Garden was a shelter, does that mean they _all_ were?"

"It does seem likely," Xu answered Rinoa's third question. "Cid seemed to know a lot about the Centra shelters, so I suppose he would be the one to ask. But to answer your other question, when we learned that this room existed, we had it outfitted into something that we thought might come in handy to use against the Sorceress, but I don't think anyone thought we would use it so soon."

When they reached the bottom, everyone could see exactly what Xu was talking about; where there had, at one point, been an empty space it was now filled with a pad in the ground that looked like it could depress even further down. Judging by the shape of the room itself, it was very possible that they were standing in the bottom tip of the Garden, which was currently submerged underwater.

This did not come as a shock to Squall, nor did it appear to surprise the rest of the occupants of this room; in fact this was what they had all been expecting. As they had already discussed before the briefing had been adjourned, because they couldn't advance any further towards Galbadia Garden without the military catching sight of their movements, nor could they reach the town in any other discreet manner, their only option would be to advance from underwater. Because of this knowledge, everyone was adorned in scuba gear. Black rubber jumpsuits that were designed for underwater movement, masks to protect their eyes, protective vests with gages and pockets and masks to cover the lower half of their faces. Strapped onto their backs were lightweight tanks that were filled with enough oxygen to last each of them an hour.

The only person who was not in scuba gear at all was Xu; she would be in charge of the Garden during the Commander's absence and her job was to keep watch over the town for the signal the team would release when Balamb Garden could advance towards the town. If they were lucky, they could time the assault well enough to trap the enemy Garden in the harbour and take the Sorceress into custody, thus ending the war before it even began.

The Lieutenant-Commander remained on the ladder; both feet were standing on the bottom bar while her right hand kept her balanced.

"We're diving from _here_?" Rinoa asked, to which Xu and Squall nodded.

"While the Galbadians haven't spotted us yet, there's still a chance that they may before we can get clear and out of sight," Xu explained. "Especially since we can see them – even if it is only through binoculars. They would have the same kind of equipment that could make us out. Probably even better equipment than we have here. This way, if they do see us before we can move out of range, they won't suspect that we've already released a team to reach the town."

Rinoa looked somewhat apprehensive and he couldn't fault her for it; most people who constantly dived did so from over the side of a boat. He was confident that Zell and Quistis would be alright; like himself when he was younger, Zell had participated in a diving course held by the Garden in Balamb Harbour during their SeeD training. Having gone over their records, Quistis had done the same in Galbadia Garden, and so had Irvine – yet another reason he had wanted the sharpshooter on this mission.

Rinoa was a different story. He had no idea if she had ever gone diving in the past, which meant they would have to monitor her during the trek. She was a fast learner though and he hoped that she would pick up the underwater activity as quickly as she had everything else up to date.

Everyone pulled on the goggles over their eyes as Xu began to ascend back up the ladder and towards the exit. Once she reached the top, he gave her the go ahead and she quickly activated her comlink, ordering the personnel stationed at the appropriate controls to go ahead, before leaving them behind as she boarded the lift and rose back up to the first basement level.

A minute later, the floor beneath them shifted before submerging further and the cold sea water began to flood into the room, causing a shriek of surprise from Rinoa, who apparently had not expected the water to be in such frigid temperatures. Everyone quickly pulled on their oxygen masks and waited until the floor had sunk down low enough before diving below the water's surface and kicking off out of the Garden.

* * *

_More changes!_

_Minor change is the number of people participating in this mission. In the game, we could have three people, though Squall and Zell were default so picking the third was a rather mute point I think. Here, I opted for everyone but Irvine and Selphie, as expressed earlier this chapter. They won't be completely left out of this saga though, so expect a sighting of them every now and again._

_Major change is the way the Balamb liberation happened. I hated the way they did it in the game. It was silly, stupid and didn't give the Galbadians or SeeD any justice. Having the SeeDs infiltrate as Galbadian soldiers has already been done (Peptuck), and I really didn't want to go about it the way the game did it (really? chasing a dog that smells poisoned fish to find Raijin sleeping on a train?) so instead they're diving under water in order to reach the town. Pretty original I think._

_Also, I never truly believed that Xu or Irvine would ever get along, despite them both being gun enthusists (in this story). Xu's way too serious and Irvine is far too casual, hence why they butted heads in this chapter. _

_Well, that's about it. All I can say is review and let me know what you think. Hopefully I'll be done with the Balamb arc soon so I can start posting more regularly again._


End file.
